What are the links between masculine norms and men’s health outcomes globally?
What implications do these links have for efforts to improve men’s health—alongside efforts to improve the health of women and children—and as part of broader efforts to create healthier, thriving societies?
The aim of this report is to provide an overview of the current state of men’s health globally and to illustrate the direct connections between health-risk behaviors and hegemonic masculine norms. Addressing men’s health requires an understanding that gender is relational, and an understanding that healthcare systems and efforts to promote health must incorporate an understanding of the relations among men, women, and children at the household and community levels, as well as consider the context of broader systematic and persistent inequalities and discrimination that women face in private and public life.
This document is targeted at practitioners, policymakers, donors, and advocates who have an interest in strengthening national and global responses to address the intersections of masculine norms and men’s ill health. While it focuses on men globally, men and masculinities are not uniform across the world; there is substantial variation in terms of culture, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. This analysis does not intend to minimize these differences. Rather, it intends to provide a global snapshot that will serve as a starting point for future, more nuanced analyses.