Masculinities, Faith and Peace

The Masculinities, Faith, and Peace Project aims to reduce sexual and gender-based violence, increase healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies, and improve inter-religious relationships.

The Masculinities, Faith, and Peace (MFP) Project, supported by the Templeton Foundation, aims to reduce sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), increase healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies (HTSP), and improve inter-religious relationships. MFP addresses the social norms and inequitable gender relations that prevent the use of modern methods of family planning, in mixed Christian and Muslim communities in Plateau State, Nigeria. It is a research-lead project, implemented by the Institute for Reproductive Health in collaboration with Tearfund and two local partner organizations.

In five implementation communities, one church and one mosque participate in MFP activities including workshops or small-group discussions, called “Community Dialogues”, which are nine-week cycles, drawing on scriptural reflections of gender equality, SGBV, positive masculinities, family planning, and inter-religious relationships. Religious leaders select key members of their congregation to be trained as facilitators of Community Dialogues, called “Gender Champions”. Each cycle of Community Dialogues also includes a health talk from a trained family planning provider, and ends with an inter-religious community celebration.