Lay support has been associated with improved breastfeeding practices, but studies of programs that engage men in breastfeeding support have shown mixed results and most are from high-income countries. The purpose of this paper is to review strategies to engage men in exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) promotion or support in 28 project areas across 20 low- and middle-income countries. This information may be used to inform...Read More
Male Engagement
Men as Contraceptive Users: Programs, Outcomes and Recommendations
Knowledge about reaching men as clients of family planning services in today’s programming environment is still limited. This paper reviews 47 current activities, programs and evidence that affect men’s use of contraceptive methods. The review includes three methods that men use directly, namely condoms, vasectomy and withdrawal, and one that requires their direct cooperation, namely the Standard Days Method.Read More
Advancing Male Engagement in Family Planning and Reproductive Health: An Advocacy Tool
This tool offers guidance on how to advocate with various audiences to bring about further investment in, commitment to, and implementation of male engagement to improve family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) outcomes. Users should adapt and expand upon the tool according to their specific needs.Read More
Engaging Boys and Men in Contraception Use and Family Planning: A Slide Deck
This slide deck consists of 57 data-driven slides that can be used by advocates, program planners, and funders, to make the case for engaging boys and men in family planning. The presentation includes a discussion of men and women’s ideal family size, men’s current use of and beliefs about contraception, advantages to men of being involved in family planning, and multiple barriers and challenges that keep men and boys from accessing and receiving the reproductive health information and care they need.Read More
Engaging Men and Boys in Family Planning: A Strategic Planning Guide
This document is intended to lead program managers, planners, and decision-makers through a strategic process to identify effective investments for engaging men in efforts to improve family planning and reproductive health. In this guide, male engagement refers to the involvement of men and boys in family planning programs across life stages, including addressing gender norms and gender equality.Read More
Understanding the Male Life Course: Opportunities for Gender Transformation
This concept paper describes a framework that conceptualizes men’s experiences, challenges, and opportunities across the life course. This approach builds on work done by USAID’s Evidence to Action Project, the Interagency Gender Working Group, the Male Engagement Task Force, and others, in addition to efforts in applying a life course approach to women’s health needs. The goal is to provide a common framework for understanding...Read More