Involving men in reproductive health, family planning and care work

The purpose of the School for Husbands is to bring women and men together to learn about the importance of family planning, health and nutrition, thus enabling them to make well-informed decisions.

Potential male volunteer participants must meet certain criteria, including being married, being a husband whose wife (or wives) uses reproductive health services, being at least 25 years old, accepting that his wife participates in associative structures, having good moral values, cultivating harmony within his family, and being supportive.

The men attend meetings twice a month that are supervised by the district head of health, who introduces them to topics such as family planning and maternal health. The meetings and lessons can be assisted by other important members of the community, such as religious leaders, if deemed necessary.

Based on these sessions, the men share the information learned among their communities and help install sanitation facilities in their villages to reduce women’s work in these areas. The schools also encourage men to participate in household chores and to help their wives with these duties.