养育照护与男性参与：主题简报

Nurturing care and What is To reach their full potential,children need the five interrelatedand indivisible components ofnurturing care: good health,adequate nutrition, safety and We have made great strides inimproving child survival, but wealso need to create the conditionsto help children thrive as theygrow and develop. Nurturing careprotects children from the worst Why are menimportant for their gender(4). And studies inseveral countries show that manymen want to be more involved intheir children’s lives and are eager to Nurturing care happens when wemaximize every interaction witha child. Every moment, small orbig, structured or unstructured, isan opportunity to ensure childrenare healthy, receive nutritious Yet many children miss out on thefull potential of receiving nurturingcare from their fathers and othermen caregivers. In most countries –whether low-, middle-, or high-income – women are still largely or TheNurturing care framework (1)emphasizes the importanceof men’s role as caregivers –alongside mothers, grand-parents, and others. There isa growing consensus on this, This brief, aimed at policymakersand programme designers, exploreswhat to consider when designing oradapting services to engage men inproviding nurturing care, and whythat is important. The documentsummarizes the evidence andlearning so far, then recommends This evidence is summarized inthe boxThe benefits of men’sengagement, on page 2. It suggeststhat men’s participation – when itis loving, equitable, and nonviolent – Research also shows that childrenbenefit from having several The benefits of practices of maternal and infantnutrition during pregnancy,childbirth and the postnatal Benefits for men •Men’s participation and sharingof childcare responsibilities,beginning in pregnancy, canimprove their relationships with Benefits for women •Men’s active participation andsupport during the prenatalperiod is associated with themother being more likely toreceive antenatal care, childbirthand postnatal care, as well as the •Men’s care and direct interactionwith their young children canalso contribute to infants andtoddlers’ cognitive, social, and Benefits for the whole family •Parenting interventions explicitlyinvolving men and women ascaregivers have demonstratedimpacts on couple and familyrelations. These impacts includestrengthened communication, •Men’s care and direct interactionwith their children in earlychildhood can also supporttheir children’s mental healthand is associated with fewer •When men accompany womenduring labour and childbirth it Benefits for children •Interventions that engagefathers to improve their Engagement Definitions Fathers and other men caregivers areengaged Men caregivers when they are emotionally involved and responsivecaregivers, who take an active role in protecting,supporting and promoting the health, developmentand well-being of their children. If they are in arelationship with their child’s other caregiver(s),engagement also means sharing responsibilitiesfor care work and household decision-making, and This brief uses the termsmen caregiversandfathersinterchangeably, to refer to men who have a primaryrole in caring for young children – whether they arebiological or adoptive fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers,uncles, guardians, or other family members. Itrecognizes that men caregivers are diverse – they What are thebarriers to men’s What works toengage men in What are the nurturing GOODHEALTH Globally, women continue toperform most of the caregiving.Many factors underpin the limitedengagement of men. Amongthese factors is the widespreadperception that women are naturally Refers to the health and well-beingof the children and their caregivers.Why both? We know that the There is a growing body ofevidence showing how toincrease men’s engagement This section presents key lessonsfrom evidence-based programmes,which can also be applied to health,education and other systems that ADEQUATENUTRITION These perceptions are shaped bygender norms: communities’ andsocieties’ expectations and informalrules about how men and womenshould behave, and what their rolesare. These norms profoundly shapemen’s and women’s expectations –for themselves as parents, for eachother as partners, and for theirchildren. They mean that, in many Refers to maternal and childnutrition. Why both? We know thatthe nutritional status of the motherduring pregnancy affects herhealth and well-being and that of Engaging men: four Respect and promote SAFET Y ANDSECURIT Y Refers to safe and secureenvironments for children and theirfamilies. Includes physical dangers, Appeal to men and From very early on in life, girls andboys learn about these genderroles and norms in their everydayexperiences with adults. Many boysgrow up without seeing men aroundthem involved in caregiving. Theythen do not build up the confidence, Integrate the workas part of a broadereffort to achieve OPPORTUNITIES FOREARLY LEARNING R