On February 20, 2018, MenCare global co-coordinator Equimundo presented the webinar “Ask the Expert: Program P: Engaging Men in Fatherhood and Care through Gender-Transformative Programming.” Hosted by Healthy Start EPIC Center, the conversation discussed strategies for implementing Fatherhood 2.0, the United States adaptation of Program P, MenCare’s gender-transformative curriculum providing concrete strategies and activities to engage men globally in active fatherhood.
Fatherhood 2.0 was adapted by Equimundo to address the particular and variable needs of fathers in the United States. It aims to promote positive parenting and gender equality through a series of activity-based sessions that (1) promote the equal division of household labor, (2) promote men’s involvement in prenatal and postnatal care, (3) increase fathers self-efficacy around raising a child, (4) promote positive communication between parents and reduction of parental stress, and (5) increase the bond between father and child.
Equimundo Program Officer Aapta Garg and Senior Communications Associate Nina Ford emphasized the importance of keeping the needs, key areas of focus, length of intervention, and context of the communities in mind during program development. To achieve this, it is important to plan for rolling implementation alongside trained facilitators committed to recruiting participants. The presenters provided examples of key considerations and strategies for organizations implementing gender-transformative programming targeted at fathers within their communities.
In addition to the webinar, the presenters highlighted the MenCare Male Engagement Guide, which outlines the rationale for and approach to engaging men in maternal, newborn, and child health and in sexual and reproductive health and rights, providing best practices for designing and implementing male engagement interventions globally.
The recording, slides, and resources from the webinar can be accessed here.