State of World Population 2012 - UNFPA Haiti

all barriers to individuals’ access to familyplanning. However, in the sexual andreproductive health arena, gender inequality,gender-based discrimination and women’sdisempowerment stand out as posing obstaclesto women in particular as they pursue andclaim their health and rights.Achieving States’ family planningobligations requires a focus ongender equalityIn many settings, gender norms condone specificbeliefs, behaviours, and expectations of adultwomen and men, contributing to the healthrisks and vulnerabilities that affect women andmen throughout their lives. Relative to men,women and girls are often socialized to beAs part of the effort to meet unmet needs, all countriesshould seek to identify and remove all the major remainingbarriers to the utilization of family planning services.— Programme of Action of the International Conference on Populationand Development, ICPDpassive and under-educated about their sexualand reproductive health. Sexuality—a topic thatencompasses a diverse set of desires, experiences,and needs—is typically confined to notions ofpurity and virginity for women and girls. Womenlive with pressures to conform to social normsthat uniformly restrict their sexual activity withinthe context of marriage. They are often discouragedfrom taking the initiative to bring up topicsrelated to sexual relations, to refuse to have sex orto communicate about family planning.A dominant masculinity teaches boys and menthat sexuality and sexual performance are key tomasculinity. The enjoyment of sexual relations isviewed as their prerogative and they are taught totake the lead in their sexual relationships, creatingsignificant pressure (and insecurity). Traditionalviews of what it means to be a man can encouragemen to seek out multiple sexual partnershipsand to take sexual risks. Around the world, menare taught that they are not primarily responsiblefor family planning and are often not heldresponsible for pregnancies outside of marriage.The differing treatment of boys and girlsas they grow up begins early, and it continuesthroughout their lives. The result is that everyone—children,young people, adults—generallyabsorb messages about how they ought or oughtnot to behave or think, and early on, begin toestablish divergent expectations of themselvesand others as females and males. Often, theseexpectations unfortunately translate into practicesthat can harm sexual and reproductive health.Although women more consistently suffer thenegative effects of harmful gender norms acrosstheir lifetimes, societies also socialize their men,male adolescents, and boys in ways that drivepoor sexual and reproductive health outcomes.In many societies, men are encouraged to asserttheir manhood by taking risks, asserting theirtoughness, enduring pain, being independentproviders, and having multiple sex partners. Theroles and responsibilities of breadwinner andhead of the household are inculcated into boysand men; fulfilling these behaviours and roles aredominant ways to affirm one’s manhood.If gender norms simply dictated difference andnot hierarchy, we might not be talking aboutthem here. But gender norms as a rule establishand reinforce women’s subordination to menand drive poor sexual and reproductive healthoutcomes for both men and women. Women areoften prevented from learning about their rightsand from obtaining the resources that could helpthem plan their lives and families, sustain theiradvancement in school, and support their participationin the formal economy (Greene andLevack, 2010). Men are often not offered most40 CHAPTER 3: CHALLENGES IN EXTENDING ACCESS TO EVERYONE