Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the 'gender work' done by international global health programmes that target men in Africa through so-called male involvement initiatives.

Paper long abstract:

This paper examines the "gender work" done by international global health programmes that target men in Africa through so-called male involvement initiatives. These intitiatives, which aim to improve african men as fathers and as companionate, monogamous marriage partners who are willing to subject themselves to HIV prevention and gender based violence programmes, have grown increasingly common over the last decade in the field of global health. Building on case study material from Kenya and South Africa, we argue that these intitiatives simultaneously challenge and reinforce stereotypes about african masculinity, most often through an under-examined deployment of the the container term, gender equality. Here we see a double containment: of masculinity and This paper examines the work done by international global health programmes that target men in Africa through so-called male involvement initiatives. Using case study material from Kenya and South Africa, we argue that these intitiatives simultaneously challenge and reinforce stereotypes about african masculinity, most often through an under-examined deployment of the container term 'gender equality.' Here we see a double containment: of masculinity and gender equality. Attempting to unpack these containers using a feminist approach, this paper explores what else is at stake in attempts to re-shape presumptive African masculinity through a global health apparatus.