The document discusses strategies for involving men in addressing gender-based violence. It defines gender-based violence as any harm against a person due to power inequalities based on gender roles. Examples of gender-based violence include domestic violence, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, and rape during conflicts or disasters. The primary cause is identified as the unequal power between men and women originating from traditional gender roles. While there are many ways to combat gender-based violence, the document argues that an effective approach is engaging men, such as through training programs that change perceptions of men and media campaigns using male role models speaking against gender-based violence. This can help promote gender equality and a gradual change in attitudes to more effectively address gender
Original Description:
a short essay discussing how men can play a role in fighting gender based violence.
The document discusses strategies for involving men in addressing gender-based violence. It defines gender-based violence as any harm against a person due to power inequalities based on gender roles. Examples of gender-based violence include domestic violence, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, and rape during conflicts or disasters. The primary cause is identified as the unequal power between men and women originating from traditional gender roles. While there are many ways to combat gender-based violence, the document argues that an effective approach is engaging men, such as through training programs that change perceptions of men and media campaigns using male role models speaking against gender-based violence. This can help promote gender equality and a gradual change in attitudes to more effectively address gender
The document discusses strategies for involving men in addressing gender-based violence. It defines gender-based violence as any harm against a person due to power inequalities based on gender roles. Examples of gender-based violence include domestic violence, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, and rape during conflicts or disasters. The primary cause is identified as the unequal power between men and women originating from traditional gender roles. While there are many ways to combat gender-based violence, the document argues that an effective approach is engaging men, such as through training programs that change perceptions of men and media campaigns using male role models speaking against gender-based violence. This can help promote gender equality and a gradual change in attitudes to more effectively address gender
Running head: ENGAGING MEN IN ADDRESSING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
Strategies for Involving Men in Addressing Gender-Based Violence
Richard Assanga Strathmore University
ENGAGING MEN IN ADDRESSING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
Strategies for Involving Men in Addressing Gender-Based Violence
A large portion of the Kenyan media over the past week has been filled with reports of incidents in which two women who had been stripped naked by mobs. This was on account of their allegedly indecent dressing. (British Broadcasting Corporation, 2014). It is important to note that these were crimes carried out by men. Additionally, on December last year, the Uganda government passed a law banning women from wearing miniskirts. (Daily Monitor, 2013). Gender-based violence (GBV) can be described as any harm perpetrated against a person, as a result of power of inequalities that are based on gender roles, (Otufale G, 2013). Based on this definition it is clear that what the women mentioned in the above examples experienced were acts of gender-based violence. GBV is carried out in many forms and in many areas of day to day life. Examples include domestic violence where women are mistreated and physically abused, violence in the workplace in the form of sexual harassment, in communities that still practice female genital mutilation and in times of national disaster or civil strife where cases of women being raped have been reported (Foundation for Innovative Social Development Sri Lanka, 2012). The primary cause of GBV has been identified as the unequal power that men have over women. (Oxfam GB., 2009). This power imbalance has its origins in the roles that women and men were traditionally assigned by society. Women were placed in a subordinate role to men which led to the creation of a power imbalance that was then abused by men. (Foundation for Innovative Social Development Sri Lanka, 2012) There are several ways in which the struggle against GBV can be effectively addressed. These include putting an end to a culture of impunity in society, changing societal attitudes that foster violence against women, collection of information on interventions that have been
ENGAGING MEN IN ADDRESSING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
effective and ensuring that all stakeholders directly involved in the fight against GBV have sufficient resources. However, many organizations today now focusing on prevention. They are doing this by engaging men and boys in strategies that help put an end to GBV. (Migiro, 2010). Examples of this are through training programs that try and change the view of seeing men as perpetrators to seeing them as potential allies in the struggle against GBV (Cihangir, Barreto & Ellemers 2014). This is can be especially effective in reaching out to other men because a man is likely to be more receptive to a message from a fellow male friend than from a stranger. This concept can be extended to the media where campaigns targeted at changing mens attitudes in which fellow men are used as role models speaking out against GBV. In conclusion, while there are many ways in which to combat GBV, an effective way is the author feels that amongst other interventions, an effective way to engage men in combatting GBV. This can be done by encouraging a gradual change in the attitudes that they had when growing up. By removing the imbalance of power that exists because of gender-based roles and promoting gender equality then GBV can be more effectively addressed.
ENGAGING MEN IN ADDRESSING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
References British Broadcasting Corporation. (2014, November 18). Retrieved 11 27, 2014, from BBC News Africa: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30093816 Daily Monitor. (2013, December 19). Retrieved 11 27, 2014, from Truth Every day Daily Monitor: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/2119246/-/4qwev6//index.html Foundation for Innovative Social Development Sri Lanka. (2012). Gender Based Violence. Retrieved 11 27, 2014, from Foundation for Innovative Social Development: http://www.fisd.lk/our-programmes/gender-based-violence.html Migiro, A. R. (2010). Un Chronicle Vol. Xlvii No. 1 2010: Empowering Women: Progress Or Not. United Nations Publications. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=5\_27VfA526oC Otufale, G. A. (2013). Socio-cultural factors influencing gender-based violence on agricultural livelihood activities of rural households in Ogun State, Nigeria. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation, 5(1), 1. Oxfam GB. (2009). Improving the Safety of Civilians: A Protection Training Pack G Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series. Oxfam. Cihangir, S., Barreto, M., Ellemers, N., (2014). Men as Allies Against Sexism. doi:10.1177/2158244014539168