School for Husbands, Niger
Training men in reproductive health and family planning; encouraging shared decision-making in the household; increasing men's participation in household chores; improving hygiene and sanitation in the communities through volunteerism.
Balancing male and female roles through increasing men’s participation in reproductive health and family planning decisions; reducing the burden of women’s unpaid care work through increasing men’s participation.
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.
Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN) (2020). Back to school: The role of Husband Schools in maternal and child health and nutrition in Niger. Available at https://www.ennonline.net/nex/9/husbandschoolshealthnutniger.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2020). Niger – L’Ecole des Maris, pour une participation des hommes à la santé de la reproduction. Available at http://www.fao.org/3/am035f/am035f01.pdf.
International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) (2020). The ‘School for Husbands’ in Niger, 23 January. Available at https://www.ippfar.org/blogs/school-husbands-niger.