Effect of Gender Equality Education on Health Students Gender Perceptions and Roles: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Aim To evaluate the impact of community gender equality education program on health sciences students' perceptions of gender, gender roles, and their awareness of social norms and gender inequality. Design A single-blind, two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Methods Conducted with 70 students at a foundation university in Istanbul (2024-2025). The intervention group received two weeks structured training. Data were collected using the Perception of Gender Scale (PGS) and Gender Roles Attitude Scale (GRAS). Results No significant differences were observed at baseline. Post-intervention, the intervention group showed significant improvements in PGS and GRAS scores, while no change was found in the control group. Conclusion Short-term gender equality education program effectively improved students' gender perceptions and attitudes.