Advanced Men and Boys Engagement for Gender Transformation Course
Introduction
Engaging men and boys is an important strategy for achieving meaningful and sustainable gender equality. Traditional gender transformation efforts have often focused primarily on women and girls, leaving out a significant group of change agents; men and boys whose attitudes, behaviors, and decisions strongly influence social norms and power structures. This course equips participants with advanced skills to effectively engage men and boys as allies in promoting gender equality and social transformation.
Gender inequality is deeply rooted in social norms, cultural expectations, and power dynamics that shape how masculinity is defined and expressed. In many contexts, harmful notions of masculinity contribute to gender-based violence, unequal resource distribution, and exclusionary practices. This course explores how to deconstruct harmful masculinities and promote positive, equitable, and non-violent models of manhood that support inclusive development.
Participants will gain a deep understanding of gender-transformative approaches that actively involve men and boys in challenging inequality and promoting shared responsibility in households, communities, and institutions. The course emphasizes practical strategies for designing interventions that shift attitudes and behaviors while fostering accountability, empathy, and partnership between genders.
The program integrates behavioral science, social norms theory, and community engagement methodologies to support effective programming. Participants will explore how to design interventions that work across individual, family, community, institutional, and policy to ensure sustainable change. Special focus is placed on real-world application in development, humanitarian, and policy contexts.
The course also examines the role of education systems, media, religious institutions, and peer networks in shaping masculine identities and behaviors. Participants will learn how to collaborate with these systems to promote positive masculinity, reduce harmful practices, and strengthen gender-equitable relationships that benefit both men and women.
By the end of the program, participants will be equipped to design, implement, and evaluate men and boys engagement strategies that contribute to gender transformation. They will have the capacity to lead inclusive programs that challenge inequality, prevent gender-based violence, and promote shared responsibility for sustainable social change.
Who Should Attend
- Gender and social inclusion specialists
- Community development practitioners
- NGO and civil society program managers
- Behavior change communication officers
- Youth empowerment program officers
- Human rights and protection officers
- Education and curriculum developers
- Health promotion and public health officers
- Policy makers and government officials
- Religious and community leaders
- Social workers and counselors
- Development organization staff
- Monitoring and evaluation specialists
- Youth engagement coordinators
- International development practitioners
Duration
10 Days
Course Objectives
- Equip participants with advanced knowledge and practical skills to design and implement men and boys engagement strategies that promote gender equality and transformative social change.
- Strengthen participants’ ability to analyze harmful masculinities and understand how they contribute to gender inequality, discrimination, and social exclusion in different contexts.
- Develop competencies in designing gender-transformative programs that actively involve men and boys as partners in promoting equality and shared responsibility.
- Enhance participants’ ability to apply behavioral and social norms theories in engaging men and boys for sustainable attitude and behavior change.
- Enable participants to design interventions that challenge harmful gender norms and promote positive, non-violent, and equitable expressions of masculinity.
- Build capacity to integrate men and boys engagement strategies into development, humanitarian, and policy programs across multiple sectors.
- Strengthen skills in facilitating community dialogues and participatory approaches that promote reflection, accountability, and behavioral change among men and boys.
- Equip participants to engage key influencers such as fathers, teachers, religious leaders, and peers in supporting gender transformation initiatives.
- Improve participants’ ability to design monitoring and evaluation frameworks that measure behavioral and attitudinal change among men and boys.
- Enable participants to apply communication and advocacy strategies that promote positive masculinity and gender-equitable relationships.
- Strengthen participants’ capacity to design multi-level interventions that operate at individual, household, community, and institutional levels.
- Develop leadership skills for driving inclusive programs that reduce gender-based violence and promote long-term social transformation.
Comprehensive Course Outline
Module 1: Foundations of Men and Boys Engagement in Gender Transformation
- Concepts of gender transformation and inclusive engagement
- Role of men and boys in achieving gender equality
- Historical approaches to gender programming
- Global frameworks and policy commitments
Module 2: Understanding Masculinities and Gender Identity
- Concepts of masculinity and gender identity formation
- Harmful versus positive masculinities
- Cultural and social influences on male behavior
- Masculinity and power relations in society
Module 3: Gender Norms and Behavior Change
- Social norms influencing male behavior
- Behavior change theories and applications
- Drivers of harmful and positive behavior
- Designing norm transformation interventions
Module 4: Gender-Transformative Programming Approaches
- Principles of gender-transformative programming
- Designing inclusive and participatory interventions
- Integrating men and boys in development programs
- Measuring transformation outcomes
Module 5: Engaging Men as Partners in Equality
- Strategies for male engagement in gender equality
- Building partnerships between men and women
- Promoting shared responsibility in households
- Encouraging active allyship
Module 6: Community Dialogue and Participation
- Facilitating community conversations on gender norms
- Participatory engagement methodologies
- Conflict-sensitive dialogue approaches
- Building community ownership of change
Module 7: Prevention of Gender-Based Violence
- Understanding links between masculinity and violence
- GBV prevention strategies and frameworks
- Survivor-centered approaches
- Community protection systems
Module 8: Role of Education in Shaping Masculinity
- School-based gender transformation programs
- Curriculum integration for gender equality
- Youth engagement in schools
- Teacher training and influence on behavior
Module 9: Media and Communication for Change
- Media influence on masculine identities
- Designing behavior change communication campaigns
- Digital platforms and social media engagement
- Storytelling for gender transformation
Module 10: Engaging Influencers and Role Models
- Role of fathers, religious leaders, and mentors
- Identifying male champions of change
- Peer influence and group dynamics
- Leadership in community transformation
Module 11: Policy and Institutional Integration
- Gender-responsive policies for male engagement
- Institutional frameworks for inclusion
- Advocacy strategies for policy change
- Governance and accountability systems
Module 12: Monitoring and Evaluation of Engagement Programs
- Indicators for behavior and attitude change
- Data collection and analysis tools
- Measuring program effectiveness
- Learning and adaptive programming
Module 13: Health, Wellbeing, and Masculinity
- Men’s health and gender behavior links
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Reproductive health and shared responsibility
- Health promotion strategies
Module 14: Economic Empowerment and Gender Roles
- Men’s roles in economic inclusion strategies
- Household decision-making and resources
- Shared economic responsibility models
- Addressing financial power imbalances
Module 15: Leadership and Accountability
- Leadership roles in gender transformation
- Accountability mechanisms for change
- Ethical leadership and behavior standards
- Institutional responsibility frameworks
Module 16: Emerging Trends in Men and Boys Engagement
- Digital transformation and masculinity
- Climate change and gender roles
- Migration and shifting gender identities
- Future directions in gender-transformative work
Training Approach
The instructor led trainings are delivered using a blended learning approach and comprises of presentations, guided sessions of practical exercise, web-based tutorials and group work. Our facilitators are seasoned industry experts with years of experience, working as professional and trainers in these fields.
All facilitation and course materials will be offered in English. The participants should be reasonably proficient in English.
Certification
Upon successful completion of the training, participants will be awarded a certificate of completion by Steady Development Center.
Training Venue
The training will be held online. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, tutorials and all required training manuals. Any other personal expenses are catered by the participant.
For registration and further enquiries, contact us on:
- Tel: +254 701 180 097
- Email: training@steadytrainingcenter.com
Tailor-Made Option
This course can be customized to suit the specific needs of your organization and be delivered on-line to any convenient location.
Terms Of Payment
Upon agreement by both parties’ payment should be made to Steady Development Center’s official account at least 3 working days before training begins to facilitate adequate preparation.
