Examining determinants of gender attitudes: evidence among Tanzanian adolescents

BACKGROUND: The shaping of gender beliefs and attitudes in early adolescence affects the way young people internalize and self-enforce prevalent notions of masculinity and femininity, with lifelong consequences for sexual and reproductive health. This cross-sectional study examines determinants of gender attitudes among some of the poorest and most vulnerable adolescents in Tanzania using an ecological model. METHODS: Data come from baseline interviews with 2458 males and females aged 14–19 years conducted as part of a larger impact evaluation. Structural equation models are used to examine how factors at the community-, household-, and individual-levels influence gender attitudes in the four domains measured by the Gender Equitable Men (GEM) Scale (i.e. violence, sexual relationships, reproductive health and disease prevention, and domestic chores and daily life). RESULTS: A structural equation model of the four latent domains of the GEM scale regressed on individual, social-interactional and structural level characteristics indicated that secondary school attendance was associated with more equitable gender attitudes, while females held less equitable attitudes than males in the sample. Having had sexual intercourse was associated with more gender equitable attitudes among females, but the reverse was true among males. CONCLUSIONS: Addressing gender inequity requires understanding gender socialisation at the socio-interactional level. As females had more inequitable gender attitudes than males in the study, a special emphasis on highlighting the rights of women to girls should be considered. This study will inform future analysis of programme impacts on gender attitudes and sexual and reproductive health.