NEW YORK (24 October 2001) — When the role of gender-based power is made an integral feature of sexual and reproductive health programs, there is considerable payoff for both women and men, notes an article in the latest issue of Studies in Family Planning, a peer-reviewed quarterly journal published by the Population Council. The article’s author, Ann K. Blanc, reviews the main types of intervention approaches that have been implemented in both developing and developed countries and suggests future directions.
Gender-based power derives from the social meaning given to biological differences between men and women, Blanc explains. In general, “gender” refers to the expectations and norms shared within a society about appropriate male and female behavior, characteristics, and roles. According to Blanc, gender- based power relations can have a direct effect on the ability of partners to acquire information relevant to their reproductive health, on their ability to make decisions related to their health, and on their ability to take action to protect or improve their health or the health of those who depend upon them.
Until recently, reliable information on the basic realities of sexual partnerships from either the female or the male perspective was scarce. Over the last several years, however, a sizable body of literature has developed. According to Blanc, the existing literature points to the following conclusions:
- Men often want to support women, but this desire does not always translate into action.
- Women want men to be involved, although not under all circumstances. Women recognize that involving men in a supportive way in reproductive health can make things easier for them and can result in better health for them and their children.
- Men are receptive to information. Men appear to be enthusiastic about and receptive to information that expands their knowledge of reproductive and sexual health. Because male partners tend to control many of the couple’s decisions about reproductive health, accurate knowledge among men is crucial for their partners and children. In addition, in many studies men say that it is their ignorance of what they can do to support their wives, not a lack of willingness, that prevents them from helping.
- Men, like women, face barriers that arise from norms about appropriate gender roles. Negative reactions from other men and family members when male partners attempt to become involved in women’s or children’s health have been mentioned as a barrier in several studies.
- Women and men are willing to talk about sexual matters. Little evidence exists to show that attempts to improve the relevance of services by inquiring about sexual matters have angered, insulted, or embarrassed women. On the contrary, many studies recount the experiences of providers who find that their clients are usually relieved and happy to be asked about their sex lives.
- Involving men in reproductive health often has led to better reproductive health outcomes for women. The evidence from a range of studies in different parts of the developing world shows overall that the involvement of men leads to better reproductive and sexual health outcomes for women
Ann K. Blanc is Demographer, Blancroft Research International, 11718 Lightfall Court, Columbia, MD 21044.
Other articles, reports, data, Vol. 32, No. 3, September 2001
Articles
The Link Between Postnatal Abstinence and Extramarital Sex in Côte d’Ivoire, by Mohamed M. Ali and John G. Cleland
Implications for Evaluating the Impact of Family Planning Programs with a Reproductive Health Orientation, by Anrudh Jain
Reports
Impact of an Integrated Adolescent Reproductive Health Program in Brazil, by Robert J. Magnani, Lynne Gaffikin, Estela Maria Leão de Aquino, Eric E. Seiber, Maria de Conceição Chagas Almeida, and Varja Lipovsek
Consistency Between Survey and Interview Data Concerning Pregnancy Wantedness in the Philippines, by Lindy Williams, Teresa Sobieszczyk, and Aurora E. Perez
Disobedient Distributors: Street-level Bureaucrats and Would-be Patrons in Community-based Family Planning Programs in Rural Kenya, by Amy Kaler and Susan Cotts Watkins
Data
Results from the India 1998–99 National Family Health Survey
Results from the Burkina Faso 1998–99 Demographic and Health Survey
For subscription information on Studies in Family Planning, call 212-339-0514, fax 212-755-6052, email publications@popcouncil.org.
The Population Council is an international, nonprofit, nongovernmental research organization that seeks to improve the well-being and reproductive health of current and future generations around the world and to help achieve a humane, equitable, and sustainable balance between people and resources. The Council conducts biomedical, social science, and public health research and helps build research capacities in developing countries. Established in 1952, the Council is governed by an international board of trustees. Its New York headquarters supports a global network of regional and country offices. ### Media contacts
Melissa May, APR: mmay@popcouncil.org +1 212 339 0525
Diane Rubino: drubino@popcouncil.org +1 212 339 0617 |
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19 October 2007
