Men’s Engagement in Reproductive Health and Prevention of Gender-Based Violence

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to address the question of whether there are differences between rural and urban men in: (a) reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and behaviors; (b) trauma, prevalence and prevention of violence; and (c) construction of masculinity. The study was conducted in eight villages, four villages representing rural areas and four villages representing urban areas. Sixty samples were taken from each village/kelurahan leading to a total of 480 samples. The entire samples were adult married men aged 25-35 years. Data were collected using questionnaires. Results indicated that there were significant differences between rural and urban areas with regard to reproductive health-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, men’s roles in reproductive health and domestic chores, and violence and prevention of violence. Meanwhile, there was no significant difference in childhood trauma and masculinity between rural and urban areas.

Keywords: Men Engagement, Reproductive Health, Gender-Based Violence