Since 2013, Promundo has been developing a pilot project that uses the Bolsa Família Program as a tool to reach economically vulnerable families in promoting gender equality. The project “Involving men as partners in the economic empowerment of women” aims to use the methodology developed by Promundo to engage men in gender equality to deconstruct traditional gender roles in the domestic sphere and enhance female autonomy inside and outside the home.
Funded by the United Nations Fund for Women's Gender Equality, this project lasts three years in urban and rural areas of Rio de Janeiro and Pernambuco. Year 1 (2013) concentrated research and interventions in urban areas, year 2 is being developed in rural areas and the final year will be dedicated to writing and disseminating good practices and lessons learned through publications and seminars, involving countries that adopt similar policies and practices.
In 2013, the initiative took place in Rio de Janeiro (Morro dos Prazeres) and Recife (Morro do Cordeiro). In 2014, the project is taking place with groups of men and women in the rural community of Gualdinópolis (RJ) and will begin with parents of students at a school in the rural area of Duque de Caxias (RJ).
The project's workshops take place separately between men and women and deal with topics such as violence prevention, autonomy in decision-making by women inside and outside the family sphere, motherhood, fatherhood, care, division of domestic tasks, labor rights for women and other issues gender issues related to Bolsa Família and the economic empowerment of women. After the workshops, a community campaign takes place to disseminate the topic in the communities.
The Bolsa Família Program
Implemented in 2003 in Brazil, the Bolsa Família Program (PBF) is the largest conditioned income transfer program in the world. In March 2013, 49.6 million people were registered in the program, accounting for 26% of the Brazilian population, with 93% of beneficiary families headed by women.
Since its inception, the PBF has aimed to eliminate extreme poverty and increase access to basic services for the most economically and socially vulnerable population. The conditions for receiving the benefit are all centered on the child, they are: up-to-date vaccinations, regular school attendance (80%) and annual medical examinations. In recent years, the Ministry of Social Development (MDS), which is responsible for the program, has promoted initiatives aimed at integrating and training women beneficiaries of the program through educational and professional courses.
Research shows that women are more likely to use their income for basic family needs, especially for children. Research carried out by Promundo points out that the conditions for receiving Bolsa Família, centered on the figure of women, can contribute to reinforcing stereotypes that women are the only or main responsible for taking care of the home and children, limiting their activities to the domestic and excluding the male partner from that position.
Results of the project in Morro dos Prazeres (2013)
In-depth research was carried out with PBF beneficiary couples in Rio de Janeiro, questionnaires were administered to men participating in the project and focus groups were held with men and women at the beginning and end of the project.
During the three months of intervention, the 80 men participated in weekly workshops with a male mediator. The workshops with 30 women were led by a female facilitator over five months. Promundo reached around 450 indirect beneficiaries with the community campaign (football and bingo championship).
Men Regarding the division of domestic tasks, the baseline revealed that 35.5% of men agreed that women's most important work is taking care of the house and cooking for the family. After the intervention, the number dropped to 22% of men.
Regarding the fact that women decide how money should be spent, 13% of men said that women should not have the decision, after the intervention only 8% agreed with this. Men's perceptions regarding their role in home and caring for children have also changed. Before, 75% agreed that their role was to help with childcare, after the intervention 100% agreed with the statement.
Before the intervention, 62% of men said they spent enough time with their children, this number rose to 100% after the intervention.
Women
Before and after the intervention, focus groups were conducted with female beneficiaries to assess the impact of the project. Before the intervention, women were asked about their perceptions regarding what they think about “what it is to be a man”. The vast majority of responses presented:
“Being a man means being a provider; is not being a caregiver; is not suffering; is not taking care of yourself and your health; is to have no restrictions (with regard to sexual relations, pregnancy and illnesses)”.
After the intervention, the same question was asked to the women, generating different answers. A new concept about traditional gender expectations and norms emerged as women began to question these roles:
“I think the household chores have to be equal, that won’t make him more or less of a man, the right thing to do would be to divide it equally.” (T, 60 years old).
Discussing the theme of empowerment, one participant described what “being a woman” means for her and her pre-intervention routine:
“We wake up and we already have to prepare food, clean the house, wash and take care of the children.” (A, 30 years old).
The family plays a central role in the lives of these women. However, after the intervention there was evidence that women were expanding their perceptions about what they could and wanted in their lives and how their role and participation can go beyond the family sphere.
“I wanted to sell something independently, because now I work for someone else. I would like to have a small income to invest in something. I like selling things and I know a lot of people, I have the potential for that.” (V, 32 years old).
Conclusions
Based on Promundo's intervention and previous experiences, at the end of the second year of the project (2014), recommendations will be made to the Brazilian federal government and the international community on the benefits of the methodology that addresses gender transformations in program programming Bolsa Família.
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