Steps

The research team used individual interviews to ask respondents’ opinions with a series of statements on the Gender-Equitable Men Scale questionnaire.

With each statement, respondents answered:

 

The Gender Equitable Men Scale was developed to use with young men in Brazil and includes:

 

Factor 1: Inequitable Gender Norms

• It is the man who decides what type of sex to have.
• A woman’s most important role is to take care of her home and cook for her family.
• Men need sex more than women do.
• You don’t talk about sex, you just do it.
• Women who carry condoms on them are “easy.”
• A man needs other women, even if things with his wife are fine.
• There are times when a woman deserves to be beaten.
• Changing diapers, giving the kids a bath, and feeding the kids are the mother’s responsibility.
• It is a woman’s responsibility to avoid getting pregnant.
• A man should have the final word about decisions in his home.
• Men are always ready to have sex.
• A woman should tolerate violence in order to keep her family together.
• If a woman cheats on a man, it is okay for him to hit her.
• If someone insults me, I will defend my reputation, with force if I have to.
• I would be outraged if my wife asked me to use a condom.
• It is okay for a man to hit his wife if she won’t have sex with him. I would never have a gay friend.

 

Factor 2: Equitable Gender Norms

• A couple should decide together if they want to have children.
• In my opinion, a woman can suggest using condoms just like a man can.
• If a guy gets a woman pregnant, the child is the responsibility of both.
• A man should know what his partner likes during sex.
• It is important that a father is present in the lives of his children, even if he is no longer with the mother.
• A man and a woman should decide together what type of contraceptive to use.
• It is important to have a male friend that you can talk about your problems with.

Variation - Gender Equity Index, Adolescent Girls

Using the above scale, CARE's girls' empowerment work adapted the Gender Equitable Men (GEM) scale to have a center of focus on the particular situation of adolescent girls. Statements developed focused on:

• Equality of Rights
• Gendered Social Norms
• Gendered Responsibilities

Statements include:

Equality of Rights

• The presence of a father is very important in the life of the child, even if the parents are divorced.
• Girls have the same right as boys to be educated.
• Women have the same right as men to work outside the house.
• A woman could be a President or Prime Minister and be as good as a man.
• Women should have equal access to leadership positions at the village, district, and state government level.
• Women can be engineers or scientists like men.
• A woman has the same right as a man to work outside the village.
• Girls have the same rights as boys to express their opinions.
• Boys should ask their parents for permission to go outside just like girls.
• There should be places where girls can practice social, cultural, and sports activities, just like there are places for boys.
• Girls have the right to select their female friends just as boys select their male friends.
• It is necessary for a boy to have a male friend to talk with about his problems.
• If I see a man beating his wife, I should try to stop him.
• I respect and appreciate the man who walks away from a fight.
• If I see a boy teasing a girl, I should stop him.

 

Gendered Social Norms

• Boys are better than girls in sports.
• To be a man, you need to be tough.  If a boy tells his friends he is afraid, he will look weak.
• If someone insults me, I have to defend my reputation by fighting.
• A woman should bear her husband’s violence in order to keep her family together.
• I think it is acceptable that a husband beats his wife if she disobeyed him.
• Violence is a natural reaction for men – it is something they cannot control.
• If a woman insulted her husband, he has all the right to beat her.
• Boys have more opportunities than girls to go to university.
• When the family cannot afford to educate all children, only boys should go to school.
• A man should be better educated than his wife.
• Boys are more intelligent than girls.

 

Attitudes About Gendered Responsibility

• Changing diapers, giving the kids a bath, and feeding the kids are the mother’s responsibility.
• A girl should obey her brother even if he is younger than she is.
• It is the father’s responsibility to provide money for the family.

 

Variation: Training on Values Clarification and Discussion

As a part of staff training, this exercise was adapted as a basis for values clarification and discussion among staff and partners. On different corners of the room, the facilitator posts 3 signs:

• Agree
• Disagree
• Don't Know

After introducing the exercise and stressing the importance of respecting those with different opinions , the facilitator reads out a series of statements that reflect an opinion or value. With each statement, participants move to the 'agree', 'disagree' or 'don't know' sign.

These statements may include (but should be adapted to context!):

• A man needs other women, even if things with his wife are fine.
  • Probe → Very often we hear that men have a need to fulfill their desire. Do you think that men have more need for sex than women? Women are often taught how to discipline their desires and men’s desires. Do you think men can discipline their own desires?
• I would never have a gay friend.
• It is OK for a man to hit his wife if she won’t have sex with him.
• I would be outraged if my wife/husband wanted to use a condom.
• Pregnant girls should be expelled from school.
  • Probe → Why do many schools decide to expel pregnant students?
  • Probe → Why are the boys who impregnate girls not expelled from school or punished in any way? What if the girl is pregnant as a result of rape or incest, or sexual abuse by a teacher? Does she deserve to be punished? Why or why not?
  • Probe → What might be the consequences on the girl’s future if she is expelled from school? What might be the consequences for the girl’s child?
• There are times when a woman deserves to be beaten.
• Women who carry condoms on them are “easy.”
• Changing diapers, giving the kids a bath, and feeding the kids are the mothers’ responsibility.
• It is a woman’s responsibility to avoid getting pregnant.
  • Probe → What are different ways to avoid an unintended pregnancy? Which ways are controlled by women? Which are controlled by men?
  • Probe → Why should a man be concerned about avoiding an unintended pregnancy? Why should a woman
  • Probe → In your community, are there any social consequences for men who father children but don’t take responsibility? What about for mothers who don’t take responsibility?
• A man should have the final word about decisions in his home.
  • Probe → Should a woman have any input about decisions in the home? What would happen if men and women were equal partners in decision-making?
• A woman should choose whether or not to have sex, just the same as her husband can.
  • Probe → Do women have a right to say “no” to sex with their husbands?
  • Probe → Often it is expected that sexual activity is primarily for reproductive purposes for women, but men need to have sex in order to satisfy their sexual desires. Do you think women have sexual desire? Do you think society expects women to have desire, or not? Is that true for all women, or some women?
• It’s normal for men to have sex with other men.

Following each statement, participants discuss why people chose their answer for each statement, and question and debate one another to dig deeper into their reasoning. After the exercise, participants discuss:

• How did it feel to confront values that you do not share?
• What did you learn from this experience?
• How do you think that society’s expectations influence our own health or decisions about health?
• Did you change your opinion about any of the issues?

To conclude the exercise, the facilitator thanks participants for their honesty and openness and discussed that it is normal to re-evaluate our attitudes as we grow and mature through new knowledge and experiences. The session ended with two questions for personal reflection:

• How will this exercise contribute to your work?
• How will it contribute to your personal growth?

 

Variations: Measuring Gender Equitable Attitudes in Research

The SII Studies also included a number of statements in interview questionnaires with items from and adaptations of the Gender-Equitable Men scale:

CARE Tanzania

The CARE Tanzania study looked at both people’s personal views and their perception of local views around the following statements:

• Most household decisions should be made by the man.
• There is man’s work and woman’s work and one should not overlap with the other.
• When a woman works outside the home, her husband should help with childcare.
• A man should spend his free time with his wife and children.
• It is more important to educate a boy to a higher level than a girl.
• I support early marriage for girls because of the bride-price it brings.
• The most important role for a woman is to take care of the house and prepare meals for her family.
• A husband and wife should decide together about what kind of contraception to use.
• A man needs other women, even if he gets on well with his wife.
• There are times when a woman deserves to be hit.
• Bathing and feeding infants is the responsibility of the mother.
• A man should have the last word about decisions in the household.
• A woman must tolerate violence in ordre to maintain stability in the family.
• If a wife tricks her husband, it is only normal that he hit her.
• A couple should decided together whether to have children.
• Women should be virgins when they marry.
• A man always deserves the utmost respect from his wife and children.
• Women have the same rights as men to study and work outside the home.
• Women can be commune leaders, just like men.
• Women should be able to own and control the same assets and goods as men control.
• If a woman is earning income from her income-generating activities, it is okay for her husband to hand over some household expenses.
• It is okay for girls of school age to engage in income-generating activities.
• Women should have the power to choose their own husbands.
• Discrimination against women is a big problem in our community.
• Community leaders must listen to women’s opinions before making important decisions.
• It is okay for a woman to earn more income than her husband.

 

CARE's India, Mali and the Phase III SII Study on HIV and AIDS

Based on a five-point scale,