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

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.