The Fathers Clubs Manual on Engaging Men in Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health and Sexual and Reproductive Health (MNCH/SRH) was developed for the Strengthening Health Outcomes for Women and Children (SHOW) Program by Equimundo, with technical guidance from Plan International Canada and support from Global Affairs Canada. SHOW considers engaging men to be one of the core gender-transformative strategies to positively impact MNCH/SRH outcomes, as well as increase the agency of women and girls overall.
The Fathers’ Clubs Manual is informed and adapted from an evidence-informed curriculum developed by Equimundo called Program P (“P” stands for “pai” or “padre” meaning “father” in Portuguese and Spanish respectively). Program P is a direct and targeted response to the need for concrete strategies and action steps to engage men in active fatherhood from pregnancy until early childhood. It was designed and developed for use by health workers, social activists, non-profit organizations, educators, and other individuals and institutions that aim to promote men’s involvement as caregivers as one of multiple strategies to promote maternal and child health, family well-being, and gender equality.