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

Bibliographic Data

ID21880935
AuthorsJulia Vaillant (0000-0003-0189-5443, World Bank, corresponding author), Estelle Koussoubé (World Bank), Danielle Roth (International Rescue Committee), Rachael S Pierotti (0000-0002-4808-1060, World Bank), Rachael Pierotti (Africa Gender Innovation Lab, World Bank, Washington, DC, USA), Mazeda Hossain (0000-0002-1878-8145, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Kathryn Falb (0000-0001-8254-3364, International Rescue Committee)
Year2020
Volume5
Issue5
Pagese002223
Publication date2020-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBMJ Global Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908
PublisherBMJ (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1136/bmjgh-2019-002223
PMID32467354
OpenAlexW3032434937
LanguageEN
Citations received35
References cited16

INTRODUCTION: 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. METHODS: 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 men's intention to commit violence. Secondary outcomes included men's gender attitudes, women's economic and emotional IPV, women's perception of negative male behaviours and perceived quality of the relationship. RESULTS: Men in EMAP reported significant reductions in intention to commit violence (β=-0.76; SE=0.23; p<0.01), decreased agreement with any reason that justifies wife beating (OR=0.59; SE=0.08; p<0.01) and increased agreement with the ability of a woman to refuse sex for all reasons (OR=1.47; SE=0.24; p<0.05), compared with men in the control group. We found no statistically significant differences in women's experiences of IPV between treatment and control group at follow-up (physical or sexual IPV: adjusted OR=0.95; SE=0.14; p=0.71). However, female partners of men in EMAP reported significant improvements to the quality of relationship (β=0.28; p<0.05) and significant reductions in negative male behaviour (β=-0.32; p<0.01). CONCLUSION: 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 women'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. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02765139

Democracy · Domestic violence · Environmental health · Poison control · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Suicide prevention · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Gender Studies · Intimate Partner and Family Violence · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies

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