14 October 2025
|
Story Andile Mbowana
|
Photo Stephen Collett
Prof Michelle Engelbrecht, lecturer and senior researcher in the UFS Department of Psychology.
The University of the Free State (UFS) community gathered at the Centenary Complex on the Bloemfontein Campus on Wednesday, 8 October 2025, to celebrate the inaugural lecture of
Prof Michelle Engelbrecht, an esteemed scholar in the Faculty of The Humanities.
Her lecture, titled Male partner involvement in maternal health: A gender transformative lens on health equity and social change, explored how engaging men in maternal health initiatives can serve as a catalyst for advancing both health equity and social transformation.
Hosted by Prof Mogomme Masoga, Dean of the Faculty of The Humanities, the event attracted academics, students, and community stakeholders keen to engage Prof Engelbrecht’s research, which addresses issues at the intersection of health, culture, and gender dynamics.
Male partner involvement: building bridges in health
In her address, Prof Engelbrecht discussed how male partner involvement (MPI) can act as a bridge between maternal health systems and community wellbeing. Drawing on her extensive research in health systems, she emphasised the value of positioning men as active participants in maternal health rather than peripheral supporters. This approach, she explained, helps to address both structural and relational determinants of maternal health, particularly in low-resource settings.
“The reality is that many global health interventions have focused primarily on women, often overlooking the social and cultural factors that influence men’s participation,” she explained. “By engaging men as supportive and informed partners, we can help transform not only health outcomes but also gender relations within families and communities.”
Adapting Program P for local contexts
Prof Engelbrecht also presented her adaptation of
Program P, an evidence-based, gender-transformative intervention that promotes male involvement from pregnancy through early childhood. The programme was tailored for Sesotho-speaking communities in the Free State, using the ADAPT-ITT model and informed by empirical studies, stakeholder consultations, and expert reviews conducted in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality between 2022 and 2024.
She emphasised that culturally grounded interventions - such as recognising traditional practices and addressing the emotional barriers men face when participating in maternal care - are essential for achieving meaningful and lasting change.
“Understanding the symbolic and social shades of men’s involvement helps build more equitable gender dynamics and stronger community health systems,” she said.
Her research underscores the importance of participatory, culturally sensitive approaches in promoting gender equity and improving maternal health outcomes. Beyond health systems, her lecture also highlighted the broader social benefits of fostering equitable relationships between men and women - leading to stronger families and more resilient communities.
“When we create space for men to be part of the process, we build stronger, healthier families,” Prof Engelbrecht concluded.
Prof Engelbrecht’s inaugural lecture not only celebrated her academic accomplishments but also reaffirmed the UFS’s commitment to research that fosters social impact, community engagement, and transformative change.