Changing Gender Norms and Reducing Intimate Partner Violence: Results From a Quasi-Experimental Intervention Study With Young Men in Ethiopia

Abstract

Objectives. We assessed the effects of a community-based project in Ethiopia that worked with young men to promote gender-equitable norms and reductions in intimate partner violence (IPV). Methods. A quasi-experimental design was used to assign young Ethiopian men 15 to 24 years of age (809 participants were surveyed at baseline in 2008) to an intervention involving community engagement (CE) activities in combination with interactive group education (GE) sessions promoting gender-equitable norms and violence prevention, an intervention involving CE activities alone, or a comparison group. Results. Participants in the GE + CE intervention were twice as likely (P < .01) as those in the comparison group to show increased support for gender-equitable norms between the baseline and end-line points. Also, the percentage of GE + CE participants who reported IPV toward their partner in the preceding 6 months decreased from 53% to 38% between baseline and end line, and the percentage in the CE-only group decreased from 60% to 37%; changes were negligible in the comparison group. Conclusions. Promoting gender equity is an important strategy to reduce IPV.

Improved child marriage laws and its association with changing attitudes and experiences of intimate partner violence: a comparative multi-national study

“…These initiatives often include targeted mass media campaigns and community-wide education and outreach interventions, which have a positive effect on gender norms and attitudes towards violence against women [29][30][31][32][33]. Past literature has observed a positive impact of community-based interventions on IPV and IPV normative outcomes among both women and men [8,29,[32][33][34].…”

Community mobilization to modify harmful gender norms and reduce HIV risk: results from a community cluster randomized trial in South Africa

“…Adaptation and validation of the scale are described elsewhere for men [49], and a similar process was followed up for women. We based the scale on a 24-item Ethiopian adaptation of GEMS that had achieved high internal consistency reliability and associations with outcomes of interest among men and women [46]. We adapted some item phrasing in consultation with the local research team to increase appropriateness for the local social context.…”

Gender Norms, Gender Role Conflict/Stress and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Men in Mpumalanga, South Africa

“…GEMS, originally developed by Pulerwitz and Barker (2008) in Brazil [48], has now been used in many studies of HIV risk and violence behaviors in sub-Saharan Africa [49–51]. We adapted the scale for the present study from an Ethiopian version, which had achieved high internal consistency reliability [51], with items modified slightly for relevance to the South African context [47]. The scale used in the current study included a series of 17 third-person belief statements related to violence, sexual relationships, reproductive health and disease prevention, and domestic chores and daily life.…”