Ruti Levtov, Program Officer Promundo-US and Co-Coordinator of the MenCare Campaign, Men and Caregiving, Expert Consultation on Family and Parenting Support, UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti Florence 26-27 May 2014

1. Men and Caregiving
Ruti Levtov
Promundo-US
EXPERT CONSULTATION ON FAMILY AND PARENTING SUPPORT
UNICEF INNOCENTI CENTER, May 26-27

2. About Promundo
Founded in Rio de Janeiro in
1997 to engage men and
boys in gender equality and
violence prevention
Offices in Brazil, US, Portugal,
Great Lakes Region
Using research to inform and
drive practice and policy
Promoting care work and
men’s Involvement in MCH
via public health sector
Engaging men via women’s
economic empowerment and
conditional cash transfers
Using the education sector to
reach boys and girls to change
gender norms
Preventing violence & sexual
exploitation of children
Working with the peace and
security sector to build
lasting, gender-equitable
peace

3. Our Approach
• Understanding men and boys as
enmeshed in gender norms and
social expectations
• Aspects of masculinity that are harmful to
both men and women
• Men too often seen from a deficit
perspective and not enough as
agents of change
• Strong evidence that when done
right, brings benefits for women,
children and men themselves

4. Rationale
Why Fatherhood?

5. Rationale
Why Fatherhood?
1. Breaking intergenerational cycles of violence… with the
promotion of caregiving, emotional connection and love.

6. Rationale
Why Fatherhood?
2. “The caregiving divide is still one
of the primary drivers in the gender
pay and employment gap” – World
Bank
Women represent 40% of paid
workforce and more than half the
world’s food producers
Yet, average time women spend on
unpaid care work is 2 to 10 times
that of men

7. Rationale
Why Fatherhood?
3. An early entry point to promote
maternal & child health and prevent
violence against women and children
IMAGES data: 76-92% of men went to at
least one pre-natal visit
- Improvements in birth preparedness,
postnatal care attendance, couple
communications.
- Early fatherhood involvement more
likely to be sustained

8. Rationale
Why Fatherhood?
4. Fatherhood an a turning point...
…As a pathway out of urban violence and conflict
…As a way to better health (cardiovascular and mental health,
in particular)
…As a means to express emotional connection with others
(Men Who Care, 2012)

9. The MenCare campaign

10. Coordinated by: Steering Commitee:

11. MenCare Aims to Work at Multiple Levels
What

12. The MenCare Campaign…
active in 25+ countries!
Active in over 25 countries…

13. MenCare Resources: Program P
Program P (“P” for
Objectives
•Promote men’s involvement in prenatal
and postnatal care
•Promote the equal division of household
labor and caregiving
•Increase men’s self-efficacy as care-givers
•Promote positive communication and
reduce parental and family stress and
violence
Recognizes the diversity in family types
and structures

14. 1. Fatherhood in the Health Sector: A
Guide for Health Professionals on
Engaging Men
2. Engaged Fatherhood: Group
Education for Fathers and their
Partners
3. MenCare Campaigns: Community
Mobilization Strategies

15. Normalizing Men’s Caregiving

16. Institutionalizing MenCare:
Working with the Health Sector

17. MenCare+ Initiative: Putting it all together…
Components:
Group education for young
men, young women,
fathers/couples
Counselling for men who
perpetrated violence
Campaigns
Working with health sector
Advocacy at local, national,
& international levels
3-year collaboration led by
RutgersWPF, & Promundo-
US
Funded by Dutch MoFA
Implementing in Brazil,
Indonesia, Rwanda and
South Africa

18. State of the world’s fathers
a new global report

19. Why State of the World’s Fathers?
 Making the case for equitable, involved fatherhood
 Highlighting data, policies, programs and research
 Defining a global agenda
 Launch: June 2015

20. Three Sections
1. Men’s participation in
caregiving
1. Men’s participation in SRH/MCH
1. Violence
Child well-being
Family diversity

21. Into the Future…
• Adaptations of Program P for parents with children with
different age groups, nutrition, etc.
• RCTs of Program P in South Africa and Rwanda
• Online training portal
• Conceptual framework linking violence against women
and violence against children
• Expanding MenCare to new countries and across other
cross-cutting initiatives

22. Thank you!
For more information:
www.men-care.org
Ruti Levtov:
r.levtov@promundo.org.br