Engaging men to transform inequitable gender attitudes and prevent intimate partner violence

A cluster randomised controlled trial in North and South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

The study objective was to understand the effectiveness of Engaging Men through Accountable Practice (EMAP), a group-based discussion series which sought to transform gender relations in communities, on intimate partner violence (IPV), gender inequitable attitudes and related outcomes.

A two-armed, matched-pair, cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted between 2016 and 2018 in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Adult men (n=1387) and their female partners (n=1220) participated in the study. The primary outcomes of the study were female report of past year physical and/or sexual IPV and men바카라 사이트™s intention to commit violence. Secondary outcomes included men바카라 사이트™s gender attitudes, women바카라 사이트™s economic and emotional IPV, women바카라 사이트™s perception of negative male behaviours and perceived quality of the relationship.

Interventions engaging men have the potential to change gender attitudes and behaviours in conflict-affected areas. However, while EMAP led to changes in gender attitudes and behaviours related to perpetration of IPV, the study showed no overall reduction of women바카라 사이트™s experience of IPV. Further research is needed to understand how working with men may lead to long-term and meaningful changes in IPV and related gender equitable attitudes and behaviours in conflict areas.

This work is part of the Closing the Gender Gap in Africa: evaluating new policies and programmes for women바카라 사이트™s economic empowerment programme

Citation

Vaillant J, Koussoubé E, Roth D, et al. Engaging men to transform inequitable gender attitudes and prevent intimate partner violence: a cluster randomised controlled trial in North and South Kivu, Democratic Republic of CongoBMJ Global Health 2020;5:e002223.

Updates to this page

Published 13 January 2021