(Mis)measuring Men’s Involvement in Global Health: The Case of Expectant Fathers in Dakar, Senegal

Background In 2018, USAID published a report based on Demographic and Health Surveys data on the relationship between men’s involvement and women and children’s health outcomes. Based on the data collected, USAID’s analysis implies that Senegalese men are not involved in women and children’s health. Methods Twenty-two months of ethnographic research from 2012 to 2018. Research participants included 32 pregnant women and 27 expectant partners recruited from three maternity wards by convenience sampling, plus chief physicians, nurses, midwives, employees of the Ministry of Health and Social Action, and employees of nongovernmental organizations in the health sector. Research methods included participant observation, semi-structured interviews, free-list and pile sort exercises, and various visual ethnographic methods. Data were evaluated using rhetorical, textual, and cultural domain analysis. Results This research demonstrates that expectant fathers are involved in prenatal care in ways that USAID does not track through DHS. Conclusion Context independent reporting on men’s involvement is potentially harmful and obstructive to improving maternal and child health when the problem that is targeted is not a problem at all. State and non-state organizations investing in men’s involvement campaigns would save money and resources by amplifying men’s strengths (an asset-based model) rather than seek to educate them toward Eurocentric conceptions of fatherhood and masculine care (a deficit-based model).

Intersectionality and the Struggle for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: An Analysis of UN Discursive Patterns

<p>This thesis makes the normative argument that intersectionality should be taken seriously by the United Nations in their efforts to address Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). This work suggests that, in spite of widespread recognition of the value of intersectionality for approaching issues of SRHR, the UN has insufficiently adopted the theory into its policy and practice. At the international policy level, intersectionality is nearly absent as a paradigm, yet its central components are dominant within mainstream development discourse. These components include discourses of women's empowerment, human rights, and men's involvement. Drawing on critical feminist and race theory, I argue that a narrow gender vision of SRHR is not sufficient and that intersectionality should be recognized both in discourse and practice by UN agencies. This argument is examined along the parallel tracks of the population movement within the UN system and the evolution of the global women's movement (GWM). This study shows that the UN system has traditionally adopted the approaches and discourses of the global women's movement, as analysed over four decades of UN population movement discourse. However, a shift occurring at the new millennium, as well as significant political barriers barring a discussion of race and racism, have led to a break in this relationship, damaging the take-up of GWM discourse. The conclusion drawn from this argument is that SRHR is an intersectional issue and the new and emerging intersectional paradigm must be adopted by the UN in order to effectively address SRHR on a local and global scale.</p>

Intersectionality and the Struggle for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: An Analysis of UN Discursive Patterns

<p>This thesis makes the normative argument that intersectionality should be taken seriously by the United Nations in their efforts to address Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). This work suggests that, in spite of widespread recognition of the value of intersectionality for approaching issues of SRHR, the UN has insufficiently adopted the theory into its policy and practice. At the international policy level, intersectionality is nearly absent as a paradigm, yet its central components are dominant within mainstream development discourse. These components include discourses of women's empowerment, human rights, and men's involvement. Drawing on critical feminist and race theory, I argue that a narrow gender vision of SRHR is not sufficient and that intersectionality should be recognized both in discourse and practice by UN agencies. This argument is examined along the parallel tracks of the population movement within the UN system and the evolution of the global women's movement (GWM). This study shows that the UN system has traditionally adopted the approaches and discourses of the global women's movement, as analysed over four decades of UN population movement discourse. However, a shift occurring at the new millennium, as well as significant political barriers barring a discussion of race and racism, have led to a break in this relationship, damaging the take-up of GWM discourse. The conclusion drawn from this argument is that SRHR is an intersectional issue and the new and emerging intersectional paradigm must be adopted by the UN in order to effectively address SRHR on a local and global scale.</p>

Men’s involvement in family planning service utilization among married men in Kondala district, western Ethiopia: a community-based comparative cross-sectional study

Background Men involvement is one of the important factors in family planning (FP) service utilization. Their limitation in the family planning program causes a decrease in service utilization as well as the discontinuation of the method which eventually leads to failure of the program. Family planning uptake is low but there is no enough study conducted on the parameters of husband involvement in Ethiopia. Hence, this study focused to assess men’s involvement in family planning service utilization in Kondala district, western Ethiopia. Methods Community based comparative cross-sectional study design was employed in urban and rural kebeles of kondala district using quantitative and qualitative data collection tools. The multi-stage sampling method was employed to select 370 participants from each of the four urban and eight rural kebeles. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables that affect husbands’ involvement in FP service utilization. Statistical significance was declared at p-value of < 0.05 with 95% confidence interval (CI) and strength of association was reported by odds ratio (OR). Results The study showed that 203(55.6%) men from urban and 178(48.8%) from rural were involved in FP service utilization. The median age of the respondents was 36+ 8.5 years (IQR: 27.5–44.5) in urban and 35 years (IQR: 25–45) in rural parts. Respondents who had four and above current children (AOR = 3.25, 95%CI = 1.51–7.02) in urban and (AOR = 4.20, 95%CI = 1.80–9.79) in rural were positively associated with men’s involvement in FP service utilization. In the urban setting, being government employee (AOR = 2.58, 95%CI = 1.25–5.33), wishing less than two children (AOR = 3.08, 95%CI = 1.80–5.24) and having a better attitude towards FP methods (AOR = 1.86, 95%CI = 1.16–2.99) were positively associated with FP service utilization. While good educational background (AOR = 2.13, 95%CI = 1.02–4.44), short distance from home to health facility (AOR = 2.29, 95%CI = 1.24–4.19) and having better knowledge (AOR = 4.49, 95%CI = 2.72–7.38) were positively associated with men involvement in FP service utilization in the rural area. Conclusion Low involvement of men in family planning service utilization was reported in both settings. Factors associated with husbands’ involvement were varied between the two setups, except for the current number of children. Future FP program should incorporate infrastructure associated with the health facility, knowledge, and attitudinal factors.

Women’s Perception of Male Involvement in Antenatal, Childbirth and Postnatal Care in Urban Slum Areas in Bangladesh: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Male participation in reproductive health issues has been considered to be an effective and promising strategy to address the women’s reproductive health problems since the 1990s. Under this background, we aim to explore the women’s perception of men’s involvement in antenatal care (ANC), delivery and postnatal care (PNC) in the slum community of Bangladesh where various sexual and reproductive health problems exist. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among women and their husbands living in 12 slums of Chattogram city. Cross-tabulation with chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the predictors of husbands’ support in wives’ antenatal, delivery and postnatal care. The study demonstrates that the education and economic level of most women and their husbands were very low although husbands seemed to have a better status than wives in these aspects. Almost all men (~90%) had never accessed services related to reproductive and maternal health. Only 10% of respondents gave birth to their last baby in government hospitals or private clinics. In addition, 60% of the husbands took care of their wives during pregnancy with 44% during childbirth and about 30% providing help in receiving postpartum care. Moreover, husbands’ discussions with a health worker regarding maternal and reproductive health were the most important predictors for support of their wives during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care (p < 0.05). Study participants’ perception of a satisfying spousal relationship also appeared to be a significant factor for husbands’ responsible role regarding wives’ antenatal care, delivery and postnatal care (p < 0.05). This study found that pregnant women living in slums received poorer health-related services when there was a low involvement of men; specifically, the husbands of pregnant women. In addition, men’s involvement was influenced by many aspects, particularly awareness-related factors (e.g., knowledge, communication and access to reproductive health services). Therefore, awareness creation is important for active involvement in antenatal, delivery and postnatal care. Strategies should be designed to provide men living in the slums with adequate information, education and communication to gain their interest and support about reproductive and maternal health.

Male Educator Recruitment in Early Childhood Centres: Implications for Teacher Education

The absent male educators in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes have created a gap in the momentum of success gained through fathers’ involvement in the early life of children. Worldwide, the gender imbalance trends in early childhood education and lower primary classes have been immemorial female skewed with men becoming extinct in the arena. Hitherto, copious studies testify of men’s involvement as fathers in young children’s early life as crucial for their social, emotional, and cognitive development. This chapter focuses on the importance of having male educators in the foundation phase of children’s care and learning, barriers to male involvement as educators in early care and learning centres, and how learning institutions can recruit and train male educators specific for the ECD. Male educators in the ECD have been confronted by stigmatisation, ridiculed, hit glass ceilings, and are viewed with hostility and suspicion. A preliminary exploration of literature from renowned published work that focuses extensively on various countries across continents will be covered in this review. This chapter envisaged strategies that could be employed in the recruitment, retention, and active participation of male educators in the ECD settings that will inform policy and teacher education.

Male allyship in institutional STEMM gender equity initiatives

This article examines men’s involvement in an institutional gender equity award scheme and how their self-concept as allies develops over time. It draws specifically on a subset of qualitative data from the four men participating in a study involving in-depth interviews with university staff involved in the self-assessment team of one Australian institution’s Science in Australia Gender Equality (SAGE) Athena SWAN pilot. Data related to the men’s experiences is the article’s focus. Key themes from the data include: 1) men’s motivations for engagement; 2) men’s self-understandings as ‘champions for change’ 3) the barriers/risks associated with male championship; and 4) men’s evolving perceptions and critiques of the male champions model. Findings show that men demonstrated personal growth and increased awareness through their participation in the pilot. Yet, their frustration with how equity and diversity was managed in their organisational context highlights pitfalls in the concept of a male ‘champion’. This article provides timely guidance for institutions seeking to engage allies in gender equity initiatives.

Re-Thinking Gender, Artivism and Choices. Cultures of Equality Emerging From Urban Peripheries

Gender dimensions of violence, and especially women’s experiences in settings of urban violence have been the subject of important feminist research, including those that highlight gender as essential for comprehensive analyses of security and urban violence, and for promoting solutions and positive change. A primary contribution of feminist research indeed has been to demonstrate that there are both visible and invisible aspects of urban violence. A gap in literature on these gender dimensions is that of men’s construction of masculinities – and how these constructions are challenged during times. An important set of invisible phenomena within urban spaces and their peripheries includes the positive and decolonial responses that occur, including non-violent and feminist cultural and artistic pathways and the factors that lead men to resist to dominant, violent, or ‘hyper’ versions of masculinities. While there is a predominate focus on men’s involvement in violence, far less attention has been placed on men’s non-violent pathways. Based on examples of cultural, artistic and activist practices from the peripheries, namely those emerging in Rio de Janeiro, this article aims to discuss how artivism can challenge gender inequalities and power relations.