Health Needs Assessment of Migrant Population in Beijing

The following study was designed to measure the prevalence and the nature of gender attitudes among male adolescents in Accra, Ghana. Project’s objective was to gain a better understanding of beliefs (about gender identity, norms, and relations) held by boys between the age of 12 and 20. Survey and interview-based fieldwork was conducted across four schools in Accra and a total of 120 participants were surveyed. Results show that, while male adolescents generally reject violence against women and support equal opportunities for women, the majority exhibit a high level of support for covert gender inequitable norms that regard women’s “nature” as inferior and subordinate to that of men. The study established a significant relationship between the level of support for gender equity and the practice of gender-equitable decision-making in the household. These findings confirm the role that caretakers have in shaping children’s understanding of gender roles early on in their psychosocial development. Future gender sensitization efforts must particularly address subtle gender bias and stereotype – an area, in which boys consistently hold the least gender equitable attitudes.