2021 State of the Art in Engaging Men and Boys in Health and Development: A Technical Marketplace

In September 2021, the Interagency Gender Working Group’s Male Engagement Task Force (METF) hosted the webinar, “2021 State of the Art in Engaging Men and Boys in Health and Development: A Technical Marketplace.”

Engaging men and boys is critical for promoting gender equality and improving global health outcomes. Both new and recurring challenges and opportunities require that we continue to emphasize men and boys as key actors. This webinar showcased 11 examples of cutting-edge programming and research for engaging a broader diversity of men and boys as clients, partners, and agents of change across global health initiatives and programs. Presentations focused on diverse health areas, including sexual and reproductive health; maternal, newborn, and child health; HIV/AIDS; and gender-based violence. In doing so, they underscored the key role of gender and other social norms in shaping health behaviors and outcomes and the need to engage and shift these norms across individuals, communities, systems, and structures in ways that are culturally relevant and contextually appropriate. Featured presentations highlighted work happening across the globe and in these countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa, Thailand, and Uganda.

METF co-chairs Myra Betron (Jhpiego) and Julie Pulerwitz (Population Council) moderated the webinar, which featured the following presentations:

Men as Clients
- Coach Mphilo Program in South Africa (Shawn Malone, Population Services International)
- Male Contraceptive Research and Development Activities Snapshot (Heather Vahdat, Male Contraceptive Initiative)
- iDARE Methodology (Taroub Harb Faramand, WI-HER)
Men as Partners
- Broadening Accountability of Men Campaign in India (Manoj Pal, EngenderHealth)
- Parenting for Respectability Project in Uganda (Godfrey E. Siu , Makerere University)
- Advocacy for Male Engagement in Family Planning in Nepal (Erin DeGraw, Health Policy Plus [HP+], Plan International)
Men as Agents of Change
- Secure Futures Program in Kenya (Enouce Ndeche, Vijana Amani Pamoja)
- Dads and Daughters Project in Kenya (Elias Muindi, Kenya MenEngage Alliance)
- Engaging Men in Accountable Practice (EMAP) Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Jean De Dieu Hategekimana, International Rescue Committee)
Diversity of Men
- Transgender Outreach and Engagement through the EpiC and LINKAGES Projects in Thailand (Robyn Dayton, FHI 360)
- Critical Health and Social Services for Men Have Sex with Men in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kashindi Shabani, Savie Asbl NGO LGBT PGEL)