Poster #162 - Effectiveness of a South African Educational Program on Gender Misconceptions and the Cycle of Poverty

• In Event: 3-159 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Section - Prevention and Interventions

Integrative Statement

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention meant to improve youths’ perceptions of gender inequalities and increase education and prevention of HIV and pregnancy in a rural township in South Africa. Gender misconceptions, such as malicious beliefs about women, normalizing gender-based violence, and idealizing masculinity while devaluing femininity, are prevalent in this South African community; these beliefs help perpetuate the cycle of poverty and oppression (Kalichman et al., 2007; Oxfam, 2014; Statistics South Africa, 2017). South African women experience prejudice and rape at high levels and are more likely than women in other countries to be blamed by others for being raped (Heaven, Conners, Pretorious, 1998; Jewkes & Abrahams, 2002; Jewkes, 2011; Strebel et al., 2006). The intervention was based on the Harlem Children’s Zone and the importance of adult relationships to stimulate change (Harlem Children’s Zone, 2017; Walsh, 2015) The intervention targeted 12 local schools with a year long class once a week. A total of 737 seventh and eighth grade girls and boys participated in the class and completed a pretest and posttest. Throughout the course of a year, students improved in the areas of their beliefs regarding rape blame, occupational gender roles, and violence against women. After the intervention, the students’ agreement with the statement "Girls who wear short dresses deserve to be raped” significantly decreased after the intervention (M=2.83, SD=1.15) compared to before the intervention (M=3.32, SD=2.20), t(562)=4.77, p<.001. In addition, the students’ endorsement of the statement “More men than women should be doctors” significantly decreased after the intervention (M=3.01, SD=2.12) compared to before the intervention (M=3.25, SD=1.95), t(568)=2.65, p=.008. Further, students’ agreement with the statement “It is better for a woman to stay in an abusive relationship than leave” significantly decreased after the intervention (M=1.56, SD=1.19) compared to before the intervention (M=1.85, SD=1.56), t(566)=3.67, p<.001. This indicates that the classroom program was effective in improving the participant’s attitude towards gender misconceptions about several negative beliefs against women that are widespread in the culture. This is important because gender misconceptions about women perpetuate the cycle of poverty and this research implies that education about gender can refine deeply ingrained cultural perspectives on gender to overcome intergenerational poverty.

Authors

• Jessica Simpson, University of Indianapolis
  Presenting Author

• Kendra Thomas, University of Indianapolis
  Non-Presenting Author