Guest post by Jane Kato, with Promundo
“There is no collective movement that informs men how to embody positive, or alternative notions of masculinity, such as caring.” – Brazilian man and a father of two
For the past decade, men and boys have been increasingly integrated into programs that aim to empower women and end gender-based violence, and for good reason. Men are more often than not perpetrators of violence not only against women and girls, but also against other men. Data from a recent multi-country study entitled the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) conducted by the Men and Gender Equality Policy Project (MGEPP) showed that men with lower educational attainment were more likely to have reported participating in robbery, being involved in fights with weapons, and having been incarcerated. This study also showed a worrying association between robbery, fights and previous imprisonment with the use of intimate partner violence (IPV). Results from studies such as this reveal how men, too, have vulnerabilities related to harsh and rigid expectations of masculinity that center around the use of violence to demonstrate power. Though not always the case, men who use violence against others often report experiencing violence (including sexual violence) in early childhood pushing forth the theory of an inter-generational transmission of violence.
We know what needs to be done: Engage men and boys in a way that takes into account their nuanced inequalities and gendered structures related to poverty, racial discrimination and more. But too many programs including ones that aim to empower women and girls engage men only as gatekeepers, or as default perpetrators of violence, rather than as allies. We need to evolve the conversation. If there is credence to the theory of the intergenerational transmission of violence, why cannot there exist the intergenerational transmission of caregiving? Of all the topics explored around how to end violence against women and girls, the notion of caregiving remains unexplored. Results from the IMAGES study show a relationship between men who engage in caregiving of young children and having positive attitudes towards gender equality. There is also a wealth of research that shows how involved and non-violent fatherhood can positively impact the mother if they share the burden of both domestic and caregiving work, affect how their sons look at and treat women and girls, and improve men's mental health. Campaigns such as MenCare coordinated by Promundo and Sonke Gender Justice in collaboration with the MenEngage Alliance, is one global effort to create social awareness around the need to support men as nurturers and caregivers, and provide a space for them to reject rigid and traditional masculine norms. Through the use of powerful media messaging, program and policy interventions and impact evaluation, this open source campaign aims to reduce violence against women and children and support gender equality. For more information please go to www.men-care.org.
Click the link below to watch a MenCare digital story, "Marcio’s Story," created by Nathan Golon.
MenCare - Marcio's Story from Promundo on Vimeo.
