Project 454159

Gender equity is a basic human right, and essential for gender equality, global health equity and development, yet there exists few to no measures to evaluate progress in global gender equity efforts. Much of the work centred on improving gender equity and health has been geared towards adults, or early adolescents (aged 10-14), has focused on either women or men, but not both, is not intersectional, and has been conducted through a deficit-based lens measuring gender inequitable attitudes, with few studies focused on measuring positive norm change among youth. As such, efforts to improve gender equity need to address data gaps so to better understand, monitor, and improve sexual and relationship norms using participatory and strength-based approaches that can have positive implications for young women and men across the life course. The objectives of this program of research are: 1) To create a youth participatory method for gender equity measurement development via a youth advisory committee; 2) To identify current measures of youth sexual and relationship norms via a systematic review and critique of the literature in collaboration with the youth advisory committee; and 3) To develop and test new strength-based measures of youth sexual and relationship norms using the participatory approach. This participatory approach to gender equity measurement development will use multiple methods including qualitative cognitive interviewing, item development, pilot testing, and psychometric analyses and scale item refinement tested within ongoing quantitative youth sexual and reproductive health surveys. All methods will aim to ensure the newly developed scale is modified to reflect the living realities of diverse youth in Canada, India, South Africa, and the United States. Ultimately, this study will inform best practice for measuring gender equity to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of youth globally.