Inequitable Gender Attitudes Research Articles

Breaking barriers: predictors of condom use negotiation among adolescent girls and young women in Mozambique

BackgroundEffective condom use negotiation is crucial for reducing HIV risk and unintended pregnancies. While studies have emphasized condom use, they often overlook the negotiation process, a critical factor in mitigating sexual health risks. This study examines factors influencing condom use negotiation among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Mozambique.MethodsData from the 2022–23 Mozambique Demographic and Health Survey (MZDHS) were analyzed, focusing on 2,624 AGYW aged 15–24. Condom use negotiation, defined as the ability to ask a partner to use a condom, was treated as a binary variable. Ten independent variables measured as binary, nominal, or ordinal were included: age, education, residence, wealth status, religion, early sexual debut, adolescent motherhood, multiple sexual partners, HIV testing, and inequitable gender attitudes. Multivariable logistic regression identified the predictors of condom use negotiation, with interaction terms assessing whether gender attitudes and condom negotiation varied by age. Average marginal effects were calculated to evaluate the impact of these factors.ResultsOnly 35.11% of AGYW reported the ability to negotiate condom use. Multivariate analysis showed that AGYW with secondary or higher education (adjusted Odds ratio [aOR] = 2.17, 95% Confidence Intervals [CI] = 1.48–3.17; p < 0.001) and those from rich households wealth index (aOR = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.81–3.48; p < 0.001) were more likely to negotiate. HIV testing was also associated with higher odds of condom use negotiation (aOR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.01–1.91; p = 0.043). Conversely, inequitable gender attitudes reduced the likelihood of condom use negotiation (aOR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.46–0.83; p = 0.001). AGYW aged 15–19 with inequitable attitudes had the lowest predicted probability of condom use negotiation (31%).ConclusionFindings emphasize the role of education, wealth, gender attitudes, and HIV testing in enhancing condom use negotiation among AGYW in Mozambique. Public health initiatives should address these factors to strengthen negotiation skills and support HIV prevention efforts.

The Impact of Violent Pornography on Sexual Coercive Behaviors Among College Men: A Prospective Examination.

Sexual coercion is a widespread public health concern, especially among college students, and is associated with a multitude of negative consequences for survivors. Prior studies document an association between exposure to violent pornography and engagement in sexual coercion among men, although longitudinal examination of this association is largely absent. Using a prospective design, the current study examined how exposure to violent pornography relates to increased engagement in sexually coercive behaviors among college men over time. It was hypothesized that increased exposure to violent pornography would be associated with higher levels of gender inequitable attitudes, higher rape myth acceptance, greater problems with alcohol use, lower recognition of rape scenarios as rape, greater ascription of responsibility to the woman in instances of rape, and lower ascription of responsibility toward the man in instances of rape, all of which in turn would predict greater engagement in sexually coercive behavior over time. Data was collected from 247 college men who completed self-report surveys at baseline, 4-month, and 7-month intervals. Higher gender inequitable attitudes, greater problems with alcohol use, and lower levels of responsibility assigned to men for rape mediated the relation between exposure to violent pornography at baseline and endorsement of sexually coercive behavior at the 7-month. Findings highlight the need to address pornography literacy in sexual assault prevention programs for college men.

Empowering voices: unveiling the dynamics of women's NGOs and state relations in Turkey

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the gender perceptions of members within women’s NGOs in Türkiye, highlighting the persistence of patriarchal values despite the rise in these organizations. The study provides insights into the influence of socio-political factors and demographic variables on gender attitudes within these organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe research utilized a survey conducted among 735 members of women’s NGOs in Istanbul and Ankara, gathering quantitative data on their attitudes toward gender inequality. The study employs a gender inequality index, supplemented with demographic and personal factors like age, marital status, education, political ideology and religiosity.FindingsFindings reveal that members of women’s NGOs often exhibit gender-inequitable attitudes, influenced by factors such as age, religiosity, political ideology and education. Contrary to expectations, these NGOs do not uniformly promote feminist values, and gender inequity is deeply entrenched within the organizational culture.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited by its focus on two major cities, which may not reflect the experiences of NGO members in other regions of Türkiye. The findings underscore the necessity to address structural constraints within women’s NGOs to promote genuine gender equality.Practical ImplicationsThis research suggests the need for critical awareness and capacity-building within women’s NGOs in Türkiye. Policymakers and organizational leaders can use these insights to develop targeted interventions that enhance gender consciousness and challenge patriarchal norms in civil society.Originality/valueThis study provides a novel exploration of gender attitudes within women’s NGOs in Türkiye, challenging the assumption that such organizations inherently promote feminist ideals. By combining empirical data with a socio-political analysis, the research reveals how entrenched patriarchal values persist within organizations that advocate for gender equality. This work contributes to understanding the complexities and contradictions in civil society’s role in gender politics, offering valuable insights for scholars and practitioners interested in gender, civil society and socio-political dynamics in Türkiye.

Social networks and gender inequitable attitudes among men and women in rural Nepal

ABSTRACT Gender-inequitable attitudes are known factors associated with women’s experience of intimate partner violence (IPV). The current study aims to identify social network factors associated with gender-inequitable attitudes among men and women in Nepal. Data came from the baseline assessment for evaluating Change Starts at Home- an IPV prevention intervention in rural Nepal (N = 1994). Linear regression models adjusted for participant demographics provided the associations between participants’ gender-inequitable attitude scores (GIAS) and their social network characteristics. Results show that women who nominated their parents (beta = −1.29) or neighbours (beta = −1.18) had better GIAS while those nominating their brother-in-law/sister-in-law (beta = 0.36) had worse GIAS. Men with higher degree (beta = −0.27) and those who nominated their spouse (beta = −0.75) had better GIAS. Women’s GIAS was strongly associated with their alters’ when the alter was within their household, had a closer relationship, or the alter was male. Men’s GIAS was strongly associated with their alters’ attitudes when the alter was not from the same household or if they had a weak tie. Findings indicate that IPV prevention programmes must consider men’s and women’s network characteristics separately. For example, interventions for women should focus on relationships within their households, while interventions for men should focus on relationships outside their households.

EYoung men's experiences of violence and poverty and the relationship to sexually transmissible HIV: a cross sectional study from rural South Africa.

Young (ages 18-35 years) men are inadequately engaged in HIV prevention and treatment globally, including in South Africa, increasing the likelihood of them having sexually transmissible HIV (i.e. living with HIV but with high viral loads). We sought to understand how men's experiences of poverty and violence, impacted on transmissible HIV, directly or indirectly via mental health and substance misuse. Rural communities in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Cross-sectional population-based random selection (September 2018-June 2019), assessing transmissible HIV (living with HIV and viral load ≥400 copies/mL) via dried blood spots, and socio-demographic data. Structural equation models (SEM), assessed direct and indirect pathways from food insecurity and violence experience to transmissible-HIV, with mediators common mental disorders, alcohol use, gender inequitable attitudes and perceptions of life chances. 2,086 young (ages 18-36 years) men and 8.6%(n=178) men had transmissible HIV. In SEM no direct pathways between food insecurity, or violence experience, and transmissible HIV. Poor mental health and alcohol use mediated the relationship between violence experience and food insecurity and transmissible HIV. Life chances also mediated the food insecurity to transmissible HIV pathway. There was a high level of transmissible HIV in a representative sample of young men. The analysis highlights the need to address both the proximate 'drivers' poor mental health and substance misuse, as well as the social contexts shaping these among young men, namely poverty and violence experience. Building holistic interventions that adequately engage these multiple challenges is critical for improving HIV among young men.

Men's Willingness to Use and Preferences for Novel Male Contraceptive Methods in Malawi.

Evidence is needed in low- and middle-income countries regarding men's willingness to use new male contraceptive methods in development, preferences regarding method attributes, and what shapes willingness/preferences. We analyzed data from cross-sectional surveys with 611 men in Malawi, concerning willingness to use each of four types of new male methods. Mean age was 24.5 years; half (50 percent) were married/cohabiting. Over half (51 percent) of men expressed willingness to use at least one new male method, including a topical contraceptive gel (33 percent), injection (32 percent), pill (29 percent), and implant (14 percent). Many male product attributes were considered important (with 59-67 percent endorsement), including ease of use, comfort of use, side effects, partner approval, type of method, frequency of facility visits, and cost. A prevalent reported reason for willingness was to "share responsibility for family planning with my partner" (44 percent). In multivariate regression analyses, willingness was inversely associated with inequitable gender attitudes (p < 0.001) and was not associated with married/cohabiting status, using condoms, or perceived risk for HIV. These findings add to growing evidence that a majority of men express willingness to use new male contraceptive methods like a topical gel, injectable, or pill. Reflection around gender roles is likely critical within future education about male contraceptive methods.

Drivers of men's use of intimate partner violence in conflict-affected settings: learnings from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is prevalent in conflict-affected settings. Yet, there is limited knowledge about the risk factors that influence men's use of IPVAW in conflict-affected settings. This paper adopts a transdisciplinary perspective to understand how experiences hypothesized to increase men's use of IPVAW relate to each other and to men's use of IPVAW. The findings may help researchers and interventionists to better select and target interventions for IPVAW in conflict-affected settings. We used baseline data from the Tushinde Ujeuri project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Men with at least partial data for the variables of interest were included in the analysis (n = 2080). We estimated a structural equation model that explored how five constructs - interpersonal violence, mental health, socioeconomic adversity, gender inequitable attitudes, and conflict violence - influenced men's self-reported past-year use of physical and/or sexual IPVAW. The model had acceptable fit (χ2 = 1576.574, p = 0.000; RMSEA = 0.041; CLI = 0.882; SRMR = 0.055). There was a statistically significant path from interpersonal violence to IPVAW (β = 0.875; OR = 2.40). Interpersonal violence also was linked to gender inequitable attitudes (β = 0.364), which were linked to increased use of IPVAW (β = 0.180; OR = 1.20). Moreover, interpersonal violence was linked to trauma symptoms (β = 0.331), which were linked to increased use of IPVAW (β = 0.238; OR = 1.27). Use of IPVAW decreased as conflict exposures increased (β=-0.036; OR = 0.96), and there was no path from socioeconomic adversity to IPVAW. Our findings suggest interpersonal violence exposures, trauma symptoms, and gender inequitable attitudes are all risk factors for the use of IPVAW in a conflict-affected setting. While continuing to focus on gender inequitable attitudes and norms, interventionists should also consider addressing men's experiences of victimization and mental wellbeing. Doing so can help to improve trauma symptoms and may hold promise to reduce IPVAW in conflict-affected settings.

Effects of a community-based, multi-level family planning intervention on theoretically grounded intermediate outcomes for couples in rural Uganda: Results from a mixed methods pilot evaluation.

This study tested the theoretically grounded conceptual model of a multi-level intervention, Family Health = Family Wealth (FH = FW), by examining FH = FW's effect on intermediate outcomes among couples in rural Uganda. FH = FW is grounded in the social-ecological model and the social psychological theory of transformative communication. A pilot quasi-experimental controlled trial. Two matched clusters (communities) were randomly allocated to receive the FH = FW intervention or an attention/time-matched water, sanitation and hygiene intervention (N = 140, 35 couples per arm). Quantitative outcomes were collected through interviewer-administered questionnaires at baseline, 7-months and 10-months follow-up. Focus group discussions (n = 39) and semi-structured interviews (n = 27) were conducted with subsets of FH = FW participants after data collection. Generalized estimated equations tested intervention effects on quantitative outcomes, and qualitative data were analysed through thematic analysis-these data were mixed and are presented by level of the social-ecological model. The findings demonstrated an intervention effect on family planning determinants across social-ecological levels. Improved individual-level family planning knowledge, attitudes and intentions, and reduced inequitable gender attitudes, were observed in intervention versus comparator, corroborated by the qualitative findings. Interpersonal-level changes included improved communication, shared decision-making and equitable relationship dynamics. At the community level, FH = FW increased perceived acceptance of family planning among others (norms), and the qualitative findings highlighted how FH = FW's transformative communication approach reshaped definitions of a successful family to better align with family planning. This mixed methods pilot evaluation supports FH = FW's theoretically grounded conceptual model and ability to affect multi-level drivers of a high unmet need for family planning.

Breaking the chains: exploring gender inequality in Türkiye through the eyes of women NGO members.

In Türkiye, women's NGOs have gained significant influence in gender politics, especially since the country's turn towards neoliberalism. A survey conducted among 735 members of women's NGOs revealed that, contrary to expectations, many members hold gender inequitable attitudes, highlighting a lack of gender consciousness within these organizations. Key findings indicate that support for gender equality is higher among participants in Ankara than in Istanbul, and that factors such as education, political ideology, and socio-economic status significantly shape these attitudes. The persistence of patriarchal beliefs within these organizations suggests the need for a deeper analysis of the socio-political and structural barriers that hinder gender equality. This study provides critical insights into the intersection of civil society, gender attitudes, and advocacy in Türkiye.

A protocol for a controlled, pre-post intervention study to change attitudes toward child marriage in Southwestern Nigeria using targeted radio programming.

Child marriage hinders progress toward population health and development goals. Cost effective interventions that address the root causes of child marriage are needed to speed progress toward ending the practice. Nigeria is home to the largest number of married girls in Africa and many of these girls are members of the Hausa ethnic group, making efforts to tackle this issue particularly urgent among this population. Radio programs have the potential to inform large numbers of people about the harms of child marriage and change their support for the practice at low cost. We will develop a series of radio programs that address gender inequitable attitudes that motivate child marriage among Hausa communities in Ibadan, Nigeria. The content of the series will be based on input from the Hausa community. A baseline survey that measures knowledge of and support for child marriage will be conducted among randomly selected samples of Hausa adults in two cities: Ibadan, which will serve as the intervention site, and Akure, the control site. The radio programs will then air on Hausa-language stations in Ibadan over a three-month period, with the aim of informing persons of the potential harms of child marriage and reducing their support for the practice. A follow-up survey with the same individuals surveyed at baseline will be conducted in both cities. We will measure the impact of this intervention by comparing changes in these outcomes over time in the intervention site (Ibadan) with changes in the same outcomes in the control site (Akure). This study will investigate whether a series of targeted radio programs can reduce support for child marriage. The intervention is readily scalable and cost-effective and, if it effectively shifts attitudes toward child marriage, could represent a promising way of addressing child marriage in Nigeria.

Do gender-equitable attitudes translate to gender-equitable chore-sharing behavior? A sex-stratified longitudinal analysis among adolescents in Kinshasa.

Unpaid care work is disproportionately performed by women and girls, negatively impacting their ability to engage in educational, social, and economic opportunities. Despite calls to address these inequities, empirical evidence on interventions designed to shift gender attitudes is limited, especially within adolescent populations. To address this gap, we used longitudinal data to conduct difference-in-difference and logistic regression models to examine the impact of a norms-shifting intervention in Kinshasa on adolescent gender-equitable chore-sharing attitudes. As compared to controls, intervention participants were 2.3 times (p <0.001) more likely to hold gender-equitable attitudes towards chore-sharing at end line. Using baseline attitudes to predict end line behavior, we find that, as compared to adolescents with gender-inequitable attitudes, boys and girls who espoused equitable gender attitudes were 1.9 times (p <0.001) and 1.5 times (p=0.005), respectively, more likely to report gender-equitable chore-sharing behavior. Norms-shifting interventions should be prioritized among very young adolescents as a strategy to shift gender-inequitable attitudes.

The relationship between fathers' heavy episodic drinking and fathering involvement in five Asia-Pacific countries: Anindividual participant data meta-analysis.

This study aims to increase understanding of the relationship between heavy episodic drinking (HED) and fathers' involvement in parenting in five countries. The potential moderating effect of fathers' experiences of childhood trauma is also studied, controlling for the possible confounding of the effect of HED by father's attitudes toward gender equality, father's age and father's education. United Nations Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence (UNMCS) survey data from 4562 fathers aged 18-49 years from Cambodia, China, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Sri Lanka were used to assess the relationship between fathering involvement (e.g., helping children with their homework) and self-reported HED of 6+ drinks in one occasion vs. non-HED and abstaining. Moderating effects of a 13-item fathers' childhood trauma (FCT) scale were tested and analyses were adjusted for gender-inequitable attitudes using the Gender-Equitable Men scale score. Bivariate and adjusted individual participant meta-analyses were used to determine effect estimates for each site and across all sites. Fathers' HED was associated with less positive parental involvement after adjusting for gender-equitable attitudes, FCT, age and education. No overall interaction between HED and FCT was identified. Gender equitable attitudes were associated with fathering involvement in some countries but not overall (p=0.07). Heavy episodic drinking was associated with reduced positive fathering involvement. These findings suggest that interventions to increase fathers' involvement in parenting should include targeting reductions in fathers' HED. Structural barriers to fathers' involvement should be considered alongside HED in future studies of fathers' engagement with their children.

Men's Endorsement of Intimate Partner Violence and HIV Testing Behavior Across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Despite an upward trend in HIV testing across sub-Saharan Africa, men continue to lag women in the use of HIV testing services. Inequitable gender attitudes held by some men may be implicated in their suboptimal HIV testing behaviors. We sought to ascertain the relationship between men?s endorsement of intimate partner violence (IPV), which is one manifestation of inequitable gender attitudes, and their lifetime and recent HIV testing, using nationally representative Demographic and Health Survey data from 23 sub-Saharan African countries. In a pooled analysis, we found that a unit increase in the IPV index scale is associated with 8% lower odds of lifetime HIV testing, and 6% lower odds of recent HIV testing. The strength of this relationship, however, varied across countries and regions. Our findings suggest that efforts to increase men?s HIV testing in the region should address the inequitable gender attitudes underpinning men?s endorsement of IPV, but that it is important to consider contextual variation.

Adolescent Girls and Their Family Members' Attitudes Around Gendered Power Inequity and Associations with Future Aspirations in Karnataka, India.

Intergenerational differences in inequitable gender attitudes may influence developmental outcomes, including education. In rural Karnataka, India, we examined the extent of intergenerational (adolescent girls [AGs] vs. older generation family members) dis/agreement to attitudes around gendered power inequities, including gender roles and violence against women (VAW). Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression examined associations between intergenerational dis/agreement to attitude statements and AGs' future educational and career aspirations. Of 2,457 AGs, 90.9% had a matched family member (55% mothers). While traditional gender roles were promoted intergenerationally, more AGs supported VAW than family members. In adjusted models, discordant promotion of traditional gender roles and concordant disapproval of VAW were associated with greater aspirations. Results highlight the need for family-level programming promoting positive modeling of gender-equitable attitudes.

Factors Influencing Lifetime Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence Among Ever-Partnered Men in South Sudan

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common form of violence against women and girls (VAWG). Research has shown that gender inequitable attitudes, economic stressors, and armed conflict are among the many risk factors for IPV. Armed conflict can leave women and girls even more vulnerable to gender-based violence and create a context in which hegemonic masculinity may escalate different forms of VAWG. In South Sudan, a country that has been affected by continued armed conflicts, more than half of ever-partnered women and girls have reported experiencing physical or sexual IPV. This study reports on two population-based surveys targeting women and men in South Sudan. Logistic regression analyses were conducted using a sub-sample of ever-partnered men in South Sudan to examine the effect of several predictors on lifetime perpetration of IPV. Findings show a number of factors that were associated with increased odds of ever perpetrating IPV including perpetrating non-partner sexual violence, exposure to non-partner physical violence, and the number of controlling behaviors perpetrated against women partners. These findings suggest that perpetration of IPV is linked to gender inequality and exposure to and normalization of violence. Overall, this research contributes to our in-depth understanding of how experiences of armed conflict may contribute to perpetration of VAWG.

Adolescent Relationship Abuse, Gender Equitable Attitudes, Condom and Contraception Use Self-Efficacy Among Adolescent Girls.

Introduction: Experiencing adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) negatively impacts sexual health and influences risk behaviors of adolescent girls. ARA may be associated with more inequitable gender attitudes among girls, a potentially modifiable factor in violence prevention. This study examines the association among gender equitable attitudes, experiences of ARA, and sexual behaviors among girls participating in Sisterhood 2.0, a community-based violence prevention program implemented in low resource neighborhoods. Methods: Data were from baseline surveys collected for Sisterhood 2.0 implemented in Pittsburgh, PA. Participant demographics, gender equitable attitudes, self-efficacy to use condoms with partners, and self-efficacy to select appropriate contraception were assessed. A latent class analysis (LCA) estimated probability of responses to nine indicators, including sexual behavior self-efficacy and violence. Multigroup LCA by grade (9-12) was also estimated and analyses were performed with SAS V9.4. Results: Female-identified adolescents ages 13-19 (n = 246) were primarily Black (75%) and evenly distributed across grade in school. Sixty-five percent reported emotional relationship abuse and 31% reported physical abuse within the previous nine months. A three-class solution was best fitting for the LCA. Experiences of violence were related to less equitable gender attitudes, being sexually active, and lower condom and contraception self-efficacy. Younger participants who were sexual minorities with less educated heads of household had more experiences with ARA and less equitable gender attitudes. Discussion: Gender equitable attitudes were lower in adolescent girls with greater experiences of ARA and worse condom and contraception self-efficacy. Integrating discussions about healthy sexual relationships and gender equity may be salient factors in violence prevention.

Prevalence and Factors Associated With Men’s Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence in South Tarawa, Kiribati

In the Republic of Kiribati, two-thirds of women report experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) during their lifetime. Less is known about men's perpetration of IPV, or associated risk factors, in this high-prevalence setting. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 429 currently partnered men aged 15 to 49 in South Tarawa, Kiribati, to estimate the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with, currently married men's perpetration of physical and sexual IPV against female partners. Two-thirds (63%) of currently partnered men reported past year physical and/or sexual IPV. Modifiable risk factors associated with men's perpetration of physical and/or sexual IPV included child physical abuse (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.31), gender inequitable attitudes (aOR: 1.12), and antisocial behaviors, including gang involvement (aOR: 3.36) and involvement in fights with weapons (aOR: 3.54). Intimate partner violence prevention approaches in Kiribati should prioritize efforts to prevent child maltreatment, promote gender equitable norms and practices, and reduce community violence.

Gender-equitable caregiver attitudes and education and safety of adolescent girls in South Kivu, DRC: A secondary analysis from a randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundAdolescent girls face myriad threats to their well-being and safety as a result of gender-inequitable attitudes and norms, and these risks are often exacerbated during humanitarian emergencies. While humanitarian actors have begun to address caregivers’ behaviors and gender attitudes as an approach to support and meet the needs of adolescent girls, best practices for working with caregivers to improve adolescent girls’ well-being in these settings have yet to be identified.Methods and findingsThis study uses panel data from a program evaluation to analyze associations between changes in gender-equitable attitudes among caregivers and changes in schooling and violence victimization for girls ages 10 to 14 years old in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Participants were recruited in May 2015 for baseline (May to July 2015) and endline (August to October 2016) data collection. Baseline and endline data for both caregivers and girls were available for 732 girls. The average ages of adolescents and caregivers were 12 and 40.7, respectively, and 92% of caregivers were female. The predictor of interest was the change in caregivers’ gender-equitable attitudes between the 2 points in time, where attitudes were measured using 10 underlying survey questions. The primary outcomes of interest were dichotomous and included improvement in schooling participation and declines in physical, sexual, and emotional violence and feeling uncared for. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between changes in caregivers’ attitudes and 5 outcomes of interest and revealed that an increase in a caregiver’s gender-equitable attitude score was associated with significantly greater odds of a girl experiencing an improvement in schooling participation (aOR = 1.08, CI [1.005, 1.154], p = 0.036) and of a girl experiencing a marginal decline in physical violence victimization (aOR = 1.07, CI [0.989, 1.158], p = 0.092). Analyses also revealed that older girls had lower odds of experiencing an improvement in schooling participation (aOR = 0.77, CI [0.686, 0.861], p < 0.001), physical violence (aOR = 0.86, CI [0.757, 0.984], p = 0.028), sexual violence (aOR = 0.86, CI [0.743, 1.003], p = 0.055), or emotional violence (aOR = 0.98, CI [0.849, 1.105], p = 0.005). Important limitations in this study include the self-reported nature of outcomes, use of single questionnaire items to construct the outcome variables, and potential self-selection bias.ConclusionsResults suggest that supporting caregivers to increase gender equitable attitudes may be associated with benefits in dual outcomes of education and safety for adolescent girls in eastern DRC. Further research is needed to better understand how to induce a shift in these attitudes in multisectoral programming.Trial registrationNCT02384642.

Gender Equitable Attitudes Among Adolescents: A Validation Study and Associations with Sexual Health Behaviors.

Gender inequitable attitudes are associated with violence perpetration and poor sexual health. There is limited diversity in U.S. samples used to validate gender attitudes measurements. This study assessed a 13-item gender equitable attitudes scale's validity among a sample of predominantly Black adolescent boys (n = 866; mean age = 15.5, range = 13-19 years) and examined associations with sexual health behaviors. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses tested construct validity. Logistic mixed-effects models were used to explore associations between gender equitable attitudes, adolescent relationship abuse, pornography use, and condom use behaviors; linear mixed-effects models explored associations between gender equitable attitudes and condom negotiation self-efficacy. By pooling data from two other gender transformative programs, Sisterhood 2.0 (n = 246, 13-19-year-old females (mean age = 15.2), 73.6% Black/African American) and Coaching Boys into Men Middle School (n = 958, 11-14-year-old males-6th grade: 10.4%, 7th grade: 36.5%, 8th grade: 53.1-56.6% white), measurement invariance was assessed across Black (n = 400) and white (n = 298) race and male (n = 429) and female (n = 246) gender. A three-factor 11-item scale showed construct validity among a sample of Black adolescent boys, weak factorial invariance across Black and white race, and configural invariance across male and female gender. Gender equitable attitudes were associated with less adolescent relationship abuse, higher condom negotiation self-efficacy, and less pornography use. These findings demonstrate some variability in measurements of gender equitable attitudes by race and gender. Targeting harmful gender norms may help prevent adolescent relationship abuse and improve sexual health behaviors.

Afghan Women's Use of Violence against Their Children and Associations with IPV, Adverse Childhood Experiences and Poverty: A Cross-Sectional and Structural Equation Modelling Analysis.

Children who experience violence from a parent are more likely to experience and perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV) later in life. Drawing on cross-sectional data among married women enrolled in the baseline of a randomized control trial in Afghanistan, we assess risk factors for women’s use of violence against their children, focused on women’s own adverse childhood experiences and experiences of IPV, poverty, poor mental health and gender attitudes. Analysis uses logistic regression and structural equation modelling (SEM). In total 744 married women reported on their use of violence against a child, with 71.8% (n = 534) reporting this in the past month. In regression models, their own experiences of witnessing their mother being physically abused, poverty during childhood, current food insecurity, their husband using corporal punishment on their child, current IPV experience, and other violence in the home were all associated with increased likelihood of women reporting corporal punishment. In the SEM, three pathways emerged linking women’s childhood trauma and poverty to use of corporal punishment. One pathway was mediated by poor mental health, a second was mediated by wider use of violence in the home and a third from food insecurity mediated by having more gender inequitable attitudes. Addressing the culture of violence in the home is critical to reducing violence against children, as well as enabling treatment of parental mental health problems and generally addressing gender equity.