Bangladesh has made progress in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), yet young men remain overlooked in policies and services. Their exclusion fuels stigma, poor health-seeking behavior, and unequal burdens on women. Engaging men is not only critical for improving maternal health and reducing gender-based violence (GBV), but also for men’s own well-being through better access to mental health, Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) treatment, and family planning support. Drawing on best practices from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, this brief recommends integrating male-focused SRHR services, updating curricula, engaging communities, and improving accessibility to ensure equitable, inclusive progress toward Bangladesh’s health and gender equality goals.
Introduction
Youths represent more than a quarter of the population in Bangladesh. Engaging youth voices is critical to advancing Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR).
However, males, who represent half of the youth population, are often disengaged from SRHR discussion due to social norms, stigma, and policy blind spots. This exclusion have far reaching consequences on their health and well-being. It also limits men’s ability to support partners, share responsibilities, and challenge harmful gender norms.
Men’s participation in SRHR helps improve health and equality outcomes by challenging stereotypes, supporting reproductive health for partners, and enabling men to become advocates for their own well-being.
Moreover, promoting gender equality requires participation of all genders. Focusing on boys and men in SRHR discussions, policies, and activities is one way that policymakers can affect change.
Engaging men as clients and service users in their own right contributes to more effective and inclusive SRHR programs. Ultimately, including men is not just about supporting women—it is about empowering half of the youth population to access their rights.
Right Here Right Now 2 (RHRN 2) is a multi-stakeholder coalition whose fundamental objective is to ensure that young people know about their reproductive health within equitable and gender-just societies. The second phase of RHRN in Bangladesh is being spearheaded by BRAC, with Youth Policy Forum (YPF) as one of the seven coalition partners.
Overview of the Research
This policy brief draws on two key sources:
- National Youth Policy 2017: Bangladesh’s National Youth Policy (2017) aims to empower young people through education, employment, health, and participation in governance.
Health is one of the priority areas in the policy. The policy made commitments to improving youths’ mental health, awareness of STDs, and access to SRHR services.
While the policy had made commitments to improving access to SRHR services, it does not acknowledge the individual needs of men as well as do not provide any operational strategy for implementation overall.
- Youth Parliamentary Debate and Declaration: A Youth Parliamentary Debate was held on December 23, 2024, with YPF members participating and an expert panel moderating. The debate focused on compulsory male participation in SRHR education and awareness.
A youth declaration was tabled following the debate which, stresses the importance of engaging men in SRHR discussion and policies to combat the challenges of maternal mortality, gender-based violence (GBV), and early marriage prevailing in the country.
Findings from key sources and secondary research
- Neglect of men’s SRHR needs in policies: Policies often prioritize women’s SRHR while neglecting men’s mental health, and infertility. For example: The National Health Policy does not specifically examine the needs of male youths regarding their reproductive health and practices.
One study found only 11 out of 35 SRHR interventions targeted males, showing a clear policy blind spot. This runs counter to the National Youth Policy 2017’s stated goals of improving youth health holistically.
- Awareness Gaps: Rural and marginalized communities have lower awareness of SRHR, which creates the first barrier for men to engage in SRHR discussions. Most men are likely to acquire knowledge about STDs from peers, which may be inaccurate.
Although SRHR topics are mentioned in the national curriculum, female issues often take precedence and issues such as physical or sexual abuse of male children are completely absent in textbooks.
- Gendered norms: Gendered norms make men reluctant to access SRHR services due to embarrassment: reproductive prowess is often linked to masculinity. One study found that only 6% of surveyed male youths reported consulting a doctor for reproductive health concerns due to shyness, with many turning to informal providers instead.
Gendered norms also lead to men having negative perceptions regarding the opposite sex.
- Accessibility Barriers: Broadly, existing adolescent-friendly health centers often operate during school hours, limiting student access. One study found only 11 out of 35 SRHR interventions targeted males, showing a clear policy blind spot. This runs counter to the National Youth Policy 2017’s stated goals of improving youth health holistically.
Policy Recommendations
- Policy and Resource Allocation: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Education should embed men’s participation in SRHR strategies and increase resource allocation.
Existing policies should be reviewed to include men’s participation in SRHR issues. For example, Bangladesh’s National Health Policy should be updated to include men in maternal and child health.
Community Health clinics, which play an important role in maternal and child health, can adopt policies to encourage men. For example, In Indonesia, the MenCare+ campaign partners with the community health centres to adopt internal policies that encourage husbands or fathers to engage in maternal and child health check-ups.
Adolescent-friendly health centers (AFHCs) can be expanded to include counseling and services for men on puberty, mental health, infertility, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and shared family planning responsibilities.
- Strengthen Adolescent Health Education:
Integrate topics of sexual violence against men and male reproductive diseases in the national curriculum.
Update curricula with age-appropriate, scientifically accurate modules on consent, contraception, and gender equality. For example, in the Philippines, the Basic Health Education curriculum has content on growth and development and personal health for grade 5 (students aged between 10-12 years old) while covering topics like puberty, physiological changes during puberty, menstruation and management, and sexual harassment in older grades.
Utilize edutainment programes like radio and social media (for example: Generation Breakthrough) to reach out to out-of-school youths
- Community Engagement:
Youth-led organizations can utilize peer education programs targeting sports groups and other places where men get together and feel safe to explore SRHR issues. The Mencare+ partner organizations in Indonesia, for example, trained facilitators linked to youth and religious organizations for adolescent group education on gender equality and SRHR.
Conclusion
Men’s active participation in SRHR is not optional—it is essential for healthier families, equitable partnerships, and gender-just societies. Including men ensures better maternal health, reduces GBV, and strengthens family well-being. Just as importantly, men themselves benefit: greater access to SRHR services means improved mental health support, reduced untreated STDs, shared responsibility in family planning, and stronger relationships. Engaging men allows them to move beyond restrictive gender norms, giving them agency over their own health and life choices.
Policymakers must act now to integrate men into SRHR policy and practice. By ensuring both men and women have equal access to SRHR information and services, Bangladesh can accelerate progress toward national health and gender equality goals while also creating healthier, more empowered male citizens.