Global pathways to men's caregiving: Mixed methods findings from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey and theMen Who Carestudy

Abstract

Promoting men's participation in unpaid care work is part of the Programme of Action for the International Conference on Population and Development. However, men's involvement in care work does not mirror the advances women have made in paid work outside the home. This mixed method study explores which men are more involved in caregiving, and what childhood and adulthood factors influence their level of involvement. Quantitative research presents findings from 1169 men across six countries with children aged 0-4, and a qualitative study presents findings from in-depth interviews with 83 men engaged in atypical caregiving practices. Survey research finds that being taught to care for children, witnessing one's father take care of one's siblings, respondents' present attitudes about gender equality and having outside help (or none, in some cases) were all also associated with men's higher level of involvement. Qualitative research reveals that men's experiences of violence, the normalisation of domestic work as children and life circumstances rather than greater-than-average beliefs in gender equality all propelled them into care work. Findings suggest that engaging more men into care work implies changes to policies and structural realities in the workplace coupled with changing gender attitudes. These insights inform policy and practice aimed at promoting greater involvement in care work by men.

A systematic review of interventions targeting men's alcohol use and family relationships in low- and middle-income countries

“…At the family level, associations between IPV and men's drinking are perpetuated in patriarchal climates, worsening as inequality and hegemonic norms increase (Jewkes et al 2015 ; Wachter et al 2017 ). Gender inequities can further impact children directly and through IPV (Garrido et al 2011 ), as they are associated with child maltreatment, poor/absent parent involvement, and intergenerational transmission of violence (Kato-Wallace et al 2014 ; Guedes et al 2016 ). In sum, considering, or even explicitly addressing cultural norms, may influence the effectiveness of interventions with particular people in particular places.…”

Women’s empowerment and experiences of mistreatment during childbirth in facilities in Lucknow, India: results from a cross-sectional study

“…It includes four subscales, which examine violence, including intimate partner violence; gender norms and roles in sexual relationships; sexual and reproductive health behaviors, outcomes, and stigma; and domestic roles and decision-making. The GEM scale was originally developed to measure men’s gender norms, and it has been used in many contexts to measure norms around gender equality, including India [ 21 , 22 ]. Since its development, it has also been used to measure gender norms among women [ 23 – 25 ].…”

A comprehensive measure of attitudes and behaviour: Development of the Support for Gender Equality among Men Scale

“…Other research has examined men's support for gender equality by measuring their involvement in household chores and childcare. These studies use a variety of approaches, including diary entries detailing time devoted to these activities (Achen & Stafford, ; Bianchi, Milkie, Sayer, & Robinson, ; Craig, Perales, Vidal, & Baxter, ), or direct questions, such as “How often do you change diapers or clothes of your children?” (Kato‐Wallace, Barker, Eads, & Levtov, ). While the use of these measures have certainly given us important insights into men's support for gender equality, such measures are typically not validated empirically.…”

“…The literature suggests that there are at least four ways in which men can publicly support gender equality: Men might engage in political activism (Iyer & Ryan, 2009;Stewart, 2016;Subašić et al, 2008;White, 2006), speak up when witnessing gender inequality (Cihangir et al, 2014;Czopp & Monteith, 2003;Czopp, Monteith, & Mark, 2006;Drury & Kaiser, 2014;Eliezer & Major, 2011;Rasinski & Czopp, 2010;Stangor et al, 2003), show a general interest in discourse on gender equality (Houvouras & Carter, 2008;Kaufman & Kimmel, 2011;Lemaster, Strough, Stoiko, & DiDonato, 2015), and foster an inclusive workplace culture (Armstrong, 2016;Liff & Cameron, 1997). Within the domestic sphere, men's support might include treating one's partner respectfully (Frei & Shaver, 2002;Hendrick & Hendrick, 2006;Hirsch, 2003;Vannoy, 1996), an equal division of household chores (Deutsch, 1999;Dotti Sani, 2014;Kosakowska-Berezecka et al, 2016;Lyness & Brumit Kropf, 2005), and equal involvement in parenting and childcare (Deutsch, 1999;Gärtner, 2007;Haas, 2003;Kato-Wallace et al, 2014;Scambor et al, 2014). While these behaviours are certainly important with regard to female romantic partners they can further be applied to female relatives, friends, or housemates.…”