Burkina Faso's School for Husbands

A few years ago, the project "School for Husbands" was launched in Burkina Faso. This concept is not new, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been supporting such schools since 2008, starting in Niger (via). The schools in Burkina Faso are financed by the International Development Association through the Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) and implemented with support from the UNFPA. Husbands (and future husbands) meet once a week to discuss family life, a facilitator guides the meetings in which topics such as women's rights, maternal and reproductive health, family planning and hygiene are addressed. The project aims to change attitude and behaviour among men by allowing them to share their experiences, asking questions and learning from each other. All this is taking place in a region that is characterised by a very unequal distribution of household responsibilities among women and men and where, in 2018 alone, there were 747 cases of neonatal death and 95 women died during childbirth (via).

“The school for husbands creates an environment in which men can feel confident sharing with and learning from each other, Here, they can speak without fear of what people will say about subjects traditionally left to women, such as family planning, prenatal consultations, the need to give birth in a health center, and postnatal consultations. Convincing husbands that they have a role to play in these issues helps promote harmony among couples and families. Before the school for husbands was launched in the village, there was a lot of tension among members of my family. And when I drank too much millet beer, I argued with my wives. But that is now all in the past!”
Ouanibaouiè Bondé

“Now, my husband often brings me seasonings from the market for cooking. When I want to do the laundry, his eldest son goes with him to collect water from the creek. When I am pregnant, he goes to the health center with me for the weighings. On the day I gave birth, he was the one who drove me to the hospital and wanted to stay at my side during the birth. I was so happy on that day that I forgot about the pain from the contractions!”
Martine Gnoumou

As of 2019, more than 1,640 schools for husbands have been established in the countries where SWEDD is being implemented (via).

photographs by Sory Sanlé via and via and via and via and via and via and via