Engaging Young Men as Community Health Leaders in an STI and Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Trial in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Abstract Background This article presents lessons learned from a microfinance and health intervention for young men designed to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STI) and intimate partner violence (IPV) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We describe the different strategies we used to identify and train young men to become change agents within their social networks. Description A cluster-randomized trial with 60 camps was undertaken in the Kinondoni District of Dar es Salaam. A total of 170 members from 30 intervention camps were trained in March 2014 as popular opinion leaders (POLs), whom we call Camp Health Leaders (CHLs). We describe the process of nominating, training, and retaining CHLs. We also describe our monitoring process, which included the collection of weekly diaries assessing topics discussed, number of peers engaged in conversations, reactions of peers, and challenges faced. Lessons Learned POLs within naturally existing social networks can be engaged in STI and IPV prevention initiatives. Continuous efforts in retention, such as holding community advisory board (CAB) meetings, developing prevention slogans and t-shirts, and offering small grants to POL teams for intervention activities, were important to keeping POLs engaged in the intervention. Further, booster training sessions were critical to maintain the message of the project and ensure that the challenges POLs face with implementing the programs were addressed in a timely manner. Conclusion Recruiting POLs in a Tanzanian urban setting and engaging them in STI and IPV reduction through social networks is possible. Training POLs in health information and interpersonal communication is important. Utilizing booster sessions and a variety of retention strategies for POLs in programs that aim to reduce IPV and STI infections among young men is essential to maintain the health leaders’ engagement in the intervention as well as intervention fidelity.

The Men’s Story Project: Promoting Healthy Masculinities via Men’s Public, Personal Narrative-Sharing Abstract The Men’s Story Project (MSP) is a scalable social and behavior change communication initiative that fosters critical reflection and dialogue about masculinities by creating public forums where men share non-fiction, personal narratives that challenge male norms and model healthy, gender-equitable masculinities. Via focus groups and in-depth interviews, this qualitative evaluation study examined impacts of the MSP for 20 MSP presenters and 31 college audience members who attended an MSP production at a public university in California in the Spring 2009 semester. Key thematic findings for MSP presenters included value placed on the men’s group experience; having their stereotypes and prejudices challenged; empowerment and healing; reinforced commitment to cease/prevent men’s violence; and expanded gender justice engagement. For audience members, key thematic findings included gaining an expanded conceptualization of masculinity; learning about intersectionality; having their stereotypes and prejudices challenged; and finding significant overall educational and social value in the MSP. The MSP’s effects on audience members were facilitated by experiences of emotion, empathy, parafriendship and role modeling elicited by the first-person narratives, and the social learning environment fostered by the collective, public experience. Directions for further international research and practice are discussed.

Understanding Feminist Resistance to “Men-Streaming” Abstract This article explores some of the resistance to the expansion of efforts to engage men and boys with gender programming in the field of international development. While efforts to engage men and boys face predictable resistance from those that oppose a gender equality agenda writ-large, these efforts also often face resistance from feminist women in the field. This article specifically examines the reasons why many feminist women criticize or express concerns about the growing presence of efforts to engage men and boys with gender programming. Data from interviews with women in the development field who were identified by their peers as critical of work to engage men challenges the common conception that these feminist women are opposed to working with men in general. This analysis instead reveals that these feminist women have specific concerns that some programs to engage men may be harmful to efforts for gender equality and that efforts to engage men may be increasingly cutting into funding and political space that has previously been dedicated women.

Global Efforts to Engage Men and Boys in Gender-Based Violence Prevention Abstract Efforts to engage men and boys to prevent gender-based violence (GBV) have proliferated rapidly throughout much of the world. These efforts can be seen in marked expansion of community-based prevention programming, as well as in policy support for such involvement. Many of the most innovative, best developed programs and most rigorously evaluated have grown internationally outside of North America. In this special issue, we offer a compilation of some of the exciting work underway to conceptualize, create, implement, and evaluate these rapidly developing efforts around the world. Authors address the theoretical foundations of this work and present some examples of how programs are being implemented, including models developed in the Global South adapted for the Global North. Authors also address the tensions and ongoing concerns that accompany these burgeoning attempts to include men and boys in the effort to end GBV.

Which Feminism? Dilemmas in Profeminist Men’s Praxis to End Violence Against Women Abstract Much of the work to engage men in preventing violence against women across the globe is profeminist—it is informed by feminist perspectives and done by or in collaboration with women and women’s organisations. Men involved in this work typically are expected to support feminism and to be accountable to women and feminism. But which feminism should profeminist men support? There has been relatively little discussion of this question in the ‘engaging men’ field. Yet, organisations and individuals involved in undertaking this work, whether it is delivered by or with men, adopt a range of different approaches and the significant diversity of thought within feminist activism is also reflected to some extent within the engaging men field. This can make accountability more challenging, because it means asking: to whom specifically should profeminist men be accountable? The relationship between feminism and the theories and strategies adopted by organisations and activists in this field is often left implicit or vague, and there can be a lack of clarity or transparency about the nature of the feminist social change that such groups seek to help bring about. The paper therefore contributes to the articulation of how profeminist men should understand their relationship to feminism, and considers how they can make choices about which feminism to adopt. It argues that, by discussing more explicitly the different interpretations of feminism shaping the engaging men field, this work will be better equipped to tackle men’s violence against women through more open, rigorous and profoundly profeminist praxis.

Involuntary Return and Coping Strategies Among Deportees in Nkoranza, Ghana Abstract Generally, the rise in deportation has implications for the resettlement of migrants in their countries of origin. In view of the increasing number of deportees in many developing countries, such as Ghana, this study sought to identify the reasons for deportation, and coping strategies adopted by deportees in the Nkoranza Municipality of Ghana. The study utilized a qualitative research approach and twenty participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically. The findings indicated that participants returned involuntary due to varied reasons (political instability; illegal entry and stay; and illegal border crossing). Furthermore, it was found that deportees included in this study adopted both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. Evidence showed that the problem-focused strategies involved resettlement grants, as well as moral and financial support from friends and relatives. Besides, positive attitude towards the future and spirituality, were the emotion-focused strategies employed by deportees. Based on the findings of the study, implications are discussed.

Intensified Exploitation and Mental Stress as Impacts of Changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in Alberta, Canada Abstract Migrant precariousness is a growing global trend that calls for effective policies to attend to the rights and well-being of migrant workers in destination countries. The experience of migrant workers is highly structured by the policies and systems in destination countries. In Canada, policy changes have affected the experiences of migrants. We sought to examine the impact of changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in 2015 on migrants in Alberta, one of Canada’s western provinces. Using a transnational theoretical perspective embedded within a critical social paradigm and a focus group method, we gathered data from thirty-five temporary foreign workers. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed with the aid of NVivo 10 qualitative data analysis software. The findings of our study reveal that the changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in Canada in 2015 restricted the rights of these workers, intensified exploitation, and led to mental health strain for temporary foreign workers and their families. To attend to the marginal status of migrant workers, there is a need to broaden pathways to permanent resident status for low-wage temporary foreign workers in destination countries.

Factors Influencing Home Births in the Krachi Nchumuru District in the Oti Region, Ghana: a Qualitative Study Abstract Aim The rate of home births compared with health facility deliveries has severe implications for maternal and child health outcomes. In this paper, we explored the factors that influence home births in rural communities in the Krachi Nchumuru District of the Oti Region, Ghana. Subjects and Methods The paper used qualitative research methods involving in-depth interviews with fifteen women who gave birth at home and traditional birth attendants (TBA). Data were manually analysed using a thematic approach and the results presented in quotes. Results The findings show that costs associated with health facility delivery, sudden onset of labour period, the absence of health facility and personnel, unavailability of transportation, support and care services of the TBA and the opportunity for spiritual assistance and intervention were the key drivers of home delivery among women in the district. The study also shows home births have some negative effects on maternal and child health during and after labour such as malaria, fever, bleeding after circumcision and a rise in body temperature. Conclusion Several contextual factors encourage home births among women in the Krachi Nchumuru District, Ghana. There is, therefore, the need to increase health facilities and personnel to provide skilled delivery care and improve the transportation infrastructure in the district.

Building Mental Health Research Capacity in Kenya: a South-North Collaboration Abstract This paper describes a mental health capacity-building partnership between the University of Nairobi (UON) and the University of Washington (UW) that was built upon a foundational 30-year HIV/AIDS research training collaboration between the two institutions. With funding from the US National Institute of Mental Health Medical Education Program Initiative (MEPI), UW and UON faculty collaborated to develop and offer a series of workshops in research methods, grant writing, and manuscript publication for UON faculty and postgraduate students committed to mental health research. UON and UW scientists provided ongoing mentorship to UON trainees through Skype and email. Three active thematic research groups emerged that focused on maternal and child mental health, gender-based violence, and HIV-related substance abuse. Challenges to conducting mental health research in Kenya included limited resources to support research activities, heavy teaching responsibilities, clinical duties, and administrative demands on senior faculty, and stigmatization of mental health conditions, treatment, and research within Kenyan society. The partnership yielded a number of accomplishments: a body of published papers and presentations at national and international meetings on Kenyan mental health topics, the institution of systematic mental health data collection in rural clinics, funded research proposals, and a mental health research resource center. We highlight lessons learned for future mental health research capacity-building initiatives.

Introduction to the Issue on Equity, Collaboration, and Empowerment in Mental Health Research Partnerships