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Adapting a Global Gender-Transformative Violence Prevention Program for the U.S. Community-Based Setting for Work with Young Men

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Abstract

Extensive practice-based evidence from international settings, as well as in-depth evaluations of programs promoting gender equity, have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing perpetration of violence against women and girls. Such “gender-transformative programs” encourage critical analysis of gender norms, challenge homophobia and gender-based harassment, build skills to question harmful masculine norms, interrupt harmful and disrespectful behaviors, and encourage more equitable behaviors. Here we describe the history of a gender-transformative program, “Program H,” first developed in Brazil and Mexico, the rationale for and evaluation of this original program, and the processes of adaptation for the US urban community-based setting, and highlight the risks as well as opportunities on the work with young men and boys in the future.

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Notes

  1. There is also a young woman’s component—Program M (“M” for “mulher” in Portuguese, meaning “woman”). Program H is implemented in both same-sex and mixed-sex groups depending on the needs of local partners, settings, and whether in a given setting there is already a gender-transformative set of program activities with young women

  2. These were asked using a standard list of STI symptoms and whether or not respondents had any of these in the past three months

  3. In comparable implementations for Program H, Promundo has learned in general that 2 activities in a session of about 2 hours over a period of 10–16 weeks allow youth to negotiate new ways of interacting and internalizing the norms discussed and for the group as a whole to begin collectively questioning rigid norms in the community

  4. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02427061

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Funding

This study received financial support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U01CE002528 (Clinical Trials #: NCT02427061).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Promundo-US, 1367 Connecticut Avenue, Washington D.C., NW, 20036, USA

    Jane Kato-Wallace, Gary Barker, Aapta Garg & Andrew Levack

  2. Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3420 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Nayck Feliz & Elizabeth Miller

  3. U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA

    Kathryn Ports

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  1. Jane Kato-Wallace
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  2. Gary Barker
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  3. Aapta Garg
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  7. Elizabeth Miller
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Correspondence to Jane Kato-Wallace.

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The CDC-funded study to evaluate “Manhood 2.0” was approved by the Human Subjects Research Protection Office of the University of Pittsburgh.

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Kato-Wallace, J., Barker, G., Garg, A. et al. Adapting a Global Gender-Transformative Violence Prevention Program for the U.S. Community-Based Setting for Work with Young Men. Glob Soc Welf 6, 121–130 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40609-018-00135-y

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