Areas for action to promote positive forms of masculinities in preventing violence against women: a concept mapping study in Spain.

Background: Violence against women (VAW) perpetrated by men is a public health problem of significant magnitude that negatively affects the whole society. Unequal gender relations produce differentiated positions in the social structure; gender roles that position men and women differently are defined and which are at the root of VAW. Framed within the European PositivMasc project, the aim of this study was to identify the areas for action to promote positive masculinities in preventing VAW in Spain, based on community stakeholders' perceptions on their importance and applicability.

Methods: A concept mapping study was carried out, involving a comprehensive and systematic approach that employs both a qualitative and quantitative methodology, between September 2019 and February 2022 in Spain. The research was conducted with a diverse sample of young people, both feminist activists and non-activists, as well as various professionals in the field under study.

Results: The results of this study showed that the lines of action in order of importance are: prevention through formal and informal education, general skills for the population, personal work with men, media and social campaigns, governmental and legal measures, activism and support to social organizations. In turn, the order of these lines of action according to applicability in the Spanish context was: media and social campaigns, prevention through formal and informal education, general skills for the population, support to social organizations, activism, personal work with men and governmental and legal measures. Consensus was observed among the participants of different socio-demographic profiles, both at a quantitative level in the scores obtained and at a qualitative level with the interpretations that reinforced the results.

Conclusions: There is a need for a comprehensive multisectoral response involving different spaces to strengthen the scale, impact and sustainability of the efforts around anti-VAW masculinities. The evidence produced throughout this concept mapping study can contribute to inform policies to effectively prevent VAW by focusing on positive masculinities, ensuring they align with the perceptions and experiences of key community actors involved in the policy implementation process.