Articles

04 Oct 2009

There is growing evidence that HIV/STI and violence risk for both young men and young women is linked to early socialization that promotes certain gender roles. The Horizons Program and Instituto Promundo examined the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve young men's attitudes toward gender norms and to reduce HIV/STI risk.

03 Oct 2009

This module is designed to build the skill of participants working to engage boys and men in gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and reproductive health (RH) in conflict and other emergency-response settings. The two-day participatory module provides a framework to discuss various strategies for male engagement based on the phases of prevention and response in conflict and displacement.

03 Oct 2009

Gender equality has long been synonymous with women and their struggle for economic independence, equal pay, and equal power. It has also been a key principle in eliminating oppression and violence.

However, gender equality is about both men and women. Men spend less time together with their own children, are more prone to accidents, are over-represented in crime statistics, and drop out more often from upper secondary education. These examples indicate that men would have much to gain from true gender equality. Men are under-represented in the teaching professions in preschools and schools, in nursing and children's social services. At the same time, men still sit in the majority of positions of power in society and they still make more money than women. It is mainly men who are the perpetrators of domestic violence.

In recent years there have been positive changes in the role of males in society. It has been almost 20 years since the Committee on Male Roles in 1991 presented its recommendations. The Committee on Male Roles pointed out the following goals: the reallocation of power between women and men, more time for fathers to care for their own children both before and after a family breakup, reduced gender differences in choice of education and training and the prevention of men's violence against women; all of these were to be central goals for the future work towards gender equality. In several areas the development in the period has been positive. In particular, there is reason to look at the development in the home, and the increased contact between fathers and their children. In other areas, however, the development has been stagnant or negative. While women have entered previous male arenas in the working life, there has not been any increase in employment of men in the health and care giving sectors. In the education sector men constitute a smaller group today than 15 years ago. Consequently, there is reason to reiterate the goals stated by the committee.

02 Oct 2009

In this report, seven masculinity researchers write about masculinity in different parts of the world and about how masculinity is often linked to violence. These acts of violence are committed not only against women and children, but also against other men. The writers suggest a number of ways in which men can be involved in working to combat men’s violence.

02 Oct 2009

Innovative interventions are important so that violent, warlike activity and its related ideas of masculinity and femininity are not carried over into post-war daily life. This 9-page issue brief provides an overview.

02 Oct 2009

This discusses the characteristics of effective programs, provides a rationale for terminology (risk reduction/deterrence vs. prevention), and reviews critical elements of sexual assault prevention and risk reduction programs for men and/or women.

02 Oct 2009

This document continues the discussion in Part One by providing an overview of best practices in prevention, the content and format of men's prevention programs, and an overview of different program philosophies or pedagogies.

02 Oct 2009

This document provides an overview of current efforts involving men in the prevention of violence against women. It discusses men's role in prevention, what is effective in men's prevention, and cultural issues and considerations in working with men,

28 Sep 2009

A new study says that parenthood pushes men and women in opposite political directions:

28 Sep 2009

Last year, Australian feminist blogger Blue Milk posted "10 questions on feminist motherhood," which a range of mom bloggers have tackled.

I wondered: Could profeminist fathers adapt these questions for themselves? If yes, would it be productive, for them and for everyone else? And I thought: Why not give it a try and see what happens?