Transforming the attitudes of young men about gender roles and the acceptability of violence against women, Bihar.
Outcomes: Gender‑Based Violence
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways The study shows that gender-transformative interventions targeting rural, out-of-school young men can shift harmful norms around masculinity and gender-based violence. Changes were especially strong among boys who regularly attended sessions. Critically, the program worked not just by changing individual attitudes but by influencing what young men believed their peers respected, suggesting the power of group-based interventions in shifting peer norms. To sustain momentum, interventions must maintain intensity, provide peer support, and integrate with broader youth platforms. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of a gender-transformative life skills and sports program in changing young men’s attitudes toward gender roles, controlling behaviors, and the acceptability of violence against women and girls in rural Bihar, India. Methods: A mixed-method evaluation, including a cluster randomized controlled trial with panel surveys at baseline (2013) and endline (2015), was conducted with 1,149 young men (ages 13–21) from 30 government-sponsored youth clubs. Additional in-depth interviews were used to support findings. Four main outcomes were tracked using validated attitude indices and peer perception measures. Intervention Details: The intervention combined 42 weekly sessions of gender-transformative life skills education and cricket coaching. It aimed to promote gender equity, challenge norms condoning violence, and build leadership and teamwork. Peer mentors led participatory sessions on topics like respect, power, and consent. Cricket was used to promote alternative masculinities. Community events supported norm change beyond the clubs. Results: Compared to control groups, young men in intervention clubs were significantly more likely to endorse gender-equitable attitudes, reject controlling behaviors and violence, and believe peers respected non-traditional masculine behavior. These effects were strongest among boys who regularly attended sessions. Less frequent participants showed little to no change. Conclusions: Group-based, peer-led programs can effectively change harmful gender norms among adolescent boys in rural settings. For long-term change, program design must ensure consistent participation and address the broader social environment through community engagement and institutional integration.
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