Changing Gender Norms and Reducing HIV and Violence Risk Among Workers and Students in China

Abstract

Global evidence demonstrates that inequitable gender norms negatively influence key health outcomes (e.g., violence, HIV/STI), and the importance of male involvement in prevention efforts. The China Family Planning Association and PATH partnered to develop and evaluate a gender-focused behavior change communication intervention for HIV and violence prevention. Eight participatory education sessions-adapted for the Chinese setting-were implemented in factories and schools. Baseline and endline surveys with participants (219 male factory workers and 496 male vocational students) were conducted. Support for (in)equitable norms was measured by the Gender Equitable Men Scale, as well as partner violence and communication. Focus groups with male and female workers/students, teachers, and factory managers were used to corroborate findings. At baseline, many workers and students supported inequitable gender norms, with workers generally being more inequitable. At endline, significant positive changes in gender-related views (e.g., reduction from 42% to 18% of workers agreeing that "a woman should tolerate violence in order to keep her family together") and behaviors (e.g., reduction from 15% to 7% of students reporting partner violence over the past 3 months) were reported. Results suggest that a relatively low intensity intervention can influence important gender norms and related behaviors.

Systematic review of structural interventions for intimate partner violence in low- and middle-income countries: organizing evidence for prevention

“…The articles described interventions conducted between 1992 and 2012 in nine countries: Bangladesh [ 24 ], China [ 39 ], Côte d’Ivoire [ 28 , 30 ], Ecuador [ 29 ], Ethiopia [ 40 ], India [ 26 , 36 ], Mexico [ 25 ], South Africa [ 31 – 34 , 37 , 38 , 41 ], and Uganda [ 6 , 27 , 35 , 42 ] (Additional file 2 : Table S2). Eleven of 20 articles used rural samples [ 24 , 25 , 27 , 28 , 30 , 31 , 33 , 34 , 37 , 38 , 42 ], by intervention design or analytic restriction.…”

“…Eleven of 20 articles used rural samples [ 24 , 25 , 27 , 28 , 30 , 31 , 33 , 34 , 37 , 38 , 42 ], by intervention design or analytic restriction. Eight articles, representing seven studies, engaged men and women [ 6 , 27 , 28 , 31 , 32 , 35 , 41 , 42 ]; seven articles (four studies) targeted women exclusively to address outcomes of interest [ 24 , 25 , 29 , 33 , 34 , 37 , 38 ]; and five articles (five studies) involved men exclusively [ 26 , 30 , 36 , 39 , 40 ]. Common restrictions included socio-demographic vulnerabilities, such as women or households with low socioeconomic status [ 24 , 25 , 27 , 29 , 33 , 34 , 37 , 38 ] and communities with high marginality [ 25 ], informal land tenure [ 32 ], or increased exposure to armed conflict [ 27 ].…”

Early Sex Work Initiation and Violence against Female Sex Workers in Mombasa, Kenya

“…Endorsement of inequitable gender norms that support male dominance and justify violence have been associated with violence. [15][16][17] The relationship between early sex work initiation and endorsement of inequitable gender norms in adulthood remains largely unexamined.…”

181. Gender Expression Associated With BMI in a Prospective Cohort Study of U.S. Adolescents

“…Similarly, preventive interventions targeting gender norms to reduce intimate-partner and dating violence have been successful in reducing violence perpetration by boys and men. [35][36][37] Given the substantial elevation of BMI associated with masculine gender expression in both females and males in the present study, our findings suggest that, as has been done in some other fields of public health, the field of overweight prevention may need to target gender norms relating to weight-related behaviors and perceptions in designing health promoting interventions.…”