Can Father Training Programmes Help Reduce Gender-Based Violence: Lessons from a Parenting Intervention in Turkey

Development Analytics Research Paper Series No 1901

39 Pages Posted: 2 Aug 2019

See all articles by O. Gokce Baykal

O. Gokce Baykal

King's College London, International Development Department; Development Analytics

Meltem A. Aran

Development Analytics

Nazli Aktakke

Development Analytics

Date Written: July 24, 2019

Abstract

Globally there is a growing interest in the design and implementation of preventive gender-based violence programs that target men. This article seeks to extend literature on the impact of father training programs on fathers’ attitudes about parenting and gender-based violence, by using a case study from a father-training program in Turkey for men with children of ages 3-6 and 7-11 years old. The paper finds modest improvement in fathers’ approaches and attitudes towards democratic parenting, violence and gender equality. The evidence of moderate effectiveness of the intervention programme aligns with the subset of other systematic research studies in the literature. Even though the programme impact is limited, the intervention is successful for two reasons (i) in recruiting men for a parenting program, in a country where cultural and social pressures to adhere to the conventional masculinity is a norm, (ii) in learning lessons and evolving the parenting intervention programme by gaining new advocates by conducting corporate-wide projects, seminars on fatherhood and gender equality for keeping fatherhood discussion alive, forming local father networks to sustain learning outcomes after programme implementation, alongside the Father Support Programme.

Keywords: parenting program, fatherhood, impact evaluation, gender-based violence

Suggested Citation

Baykal, O. Gokce and Aran, Meltem A. and Aktakke, Nazli, Can Father Training Programmes Help Reduce Gender-Based Violence: Lessons from a Parenting Intervention in Turkey (July 24, 2019). Development Analytics Research Paper Series No 1901, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3425952 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3425952

O. Gokce Baykal (Contact Author)

King's College London, International Development Department ( email )

London, London
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/did/People/Affiliates/Gokce-Baykal.aspx

Development Analytics ( email )

31 Mektep Sokak
Emirgan Sariyer
Istanbul, Istanbul 34467
Turkey

Meltem A. Aran

Development Analytics ( email )

9 Marlborough Court
Oxford, Oxford OX2 0QT
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.developmentanalytics.org

Nazli Aktakke

Development Analytics ( email )

31 Mektep Sokak
Emirgan Sariyer
Istanbul, Istanbul 34467
Turkey

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