BACKGROUND:
Historically excluded from maternal and child health (MCH) spaces, men's involvement is now recognized as vital for better maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes, gender equality, and HIV prevention. One to One Africa's Enable program, delivering MCH care via Mentor Mothers in rural Eastern Cape, launched the Mentor Brothers intervention to boost male engagement.

METHODS:
The Enable Male Engagement initiative actively involves men in protecting and supporting family health, challenging discriminatory social and gender norms per global guidelines. Using a positive deviant model, community-respected Mentor Brothers—exemplary role models—are trained to lead 6-month group sessions for the same cohort of men. Topics include partnering in women's health, responsive caregiving, child health/development, and gender-based violence prevention. Sessions are complemented by home visits, care linkages, community outreach, and collaboration with traditional leaders to ensure acceptance and uptake.

RESULTS:
Insights from Mentor Brothers and participant feedback highlight key lessons: A major gap persists in men's health needs and their role in women's/children's health; neglecting men's issues hampers family involvement. Engaging traditional leaders is crucial for program buy-in. The positive deviant approach effectively shifts social/gender norms, enhancing men's maternal health participation. Safe spaces for men to discuss fatherhood and roles foster engagement, boosting self and family health.

CONCLUSIONS:
Positive male engagement yields benefits for men's health, family sexual/reproductive health, and HIV prevention, advancing gender-transformative MCH. By prioritizing whole-family health, the program builds resilient communities, marking a pivotal evolution in interventions.