Engaging men and boys toward positive health outcomes for themselves and others

Globally, men tend to have shorter life expectancy than women. They are less likely to access health care than women. They are disproportionately involved in injury and violence, as victims and perpetrators. In order to fully understand the ways that masculinities are implicated in health, and how best to engage men and boys toward improved health outcomes, research and theoretical work about boys, men and masculinity is vital. Cognisant of the gender asymmetries in health, with a historical interest in the disproportionate involvement of men in injury and violence, the South African Medical Research Council Masculinity and Health Research Unit (MaHRU) undertakes, hosts and supports evidence-based research on men, boys, masculinity and health. In addition to research, community-mobilising interventions, research-based advocacy, and public dissemination will form a strong triangulated core of the work of MaHRU.

Key focus areas

• Research and conceptual work that has positive outcomes for the overall biological, psychological and social health of men and boys, as well as girls, women and other genders;
• Build capacity for empirical, conceptual and imaginative projects that transform the lives of men and boys as well as women, girls, and other genders in the direction of health, equality, nonviolence, happiness and social justice;
• Encourage the prevention of violence and injury;
• Methodological tools to assess the prevalence of different forms of injury and violence;
• Work on risks and determinants, and protectors against different types of injury and violence;
• Support work on violence prevention and nonviolence; and
• Identify and develop initiatives for violence prevention, nonviolence, and injury.

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