TY - JOUR

T1 - Changing Male Perceptions of Gender Equality

T2 - Evidence from a Randomised Controlled Trial Study

AU - Nguyen, Cuong Viet

AU - Tarp, Finn

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - In this study, we use a randomized control trial to examine whether asking Vietnamese men to reflect on gender equality can reduce their gender bias. We randomly selected two groups of married men in four rural provinces and asked the first group to make comments on gender-related laws and the second group to write stories about gender equality. We find that commenting on gender-related laws does not reduce men’s bias against women, while writing stories has a strong effect on reducing prejudice against women. Writing stories increases the index of gender attitudes of men in the second group by 0.29 standard deviations. The assignment also has a small effect on their contribution to housework. Changing men’s behaviour in practice requires stronger and more sustained interventions.

AB - In this study, we use a randomized control trial to examine whether asking Vietnamese men to reflect on gender equality can reduce their gender bias. We randomly selected two groups of married men in four rural provinces and asked the first group to make comments on gender-related laws and the second group to write stories about gender equality. We find that commenting on gender-related laws does not reduce men’s bias against women, while writing stories has a strong effect on reducing prejudice against women. Writing stories increases the index of gender attitudes of men in the second group by 0.29 standard deviations. The assignment also has a small effect on their contribution to housework. Changing men’s behaviour in practice requires stronger and more sustained interventions.

U2 - 10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.106019

DO - 10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.106019

M3 - Journal article

VL - 158

JO - World Development

JF - World Development

SN - 1873-5991

M1 - 106019

ER -