Activism & Politics

The EMERGE (Engendering Men: Evidence on Routes to Gender Equality) project has produced a new policy briefing which makes the case for re-framing policy on gender equality in order to more productively factor in men and boys, and suggests actions and approaches that policy makers can take to do this. The briefing, along with an accompanying practice brief and a conceptual framing paper, is available here.
 

That we need to work with men and boys has become a key mantra of health programmes globally, particularly those concerned with HIV, violence and more recently sexual and reproductive health and rights, and yet there is very little known about how effective these programmes are, nor of the challenges, opportunities and politics of this work. A special issue of Culture, Health and Sexuality draws together a number of globally recognised authors to reflect on the field, as well as provide provocative insights into the politics and processes of working with men and boys.

Challenging Patriarchy presents contributions to the evolution of thinking on men and masculinities in Gender and Development, drawing on three IDS Bulletins published over a period of more than a decade: Men, Masculinities and Development (2000), edited by Andrea Cornwall and Sarah White, Sexuality Matters (2006), edited by Andrea Cornwall and Susie Jolly, and

A range of articles on male feminists, men supporting feminism, and so on have appeared in recent years. These populist articles have recurring themes regarding what men should do. Men should:

How can men help to build gender equality at work? How can workplaces and organisations engage men in progress towards gender justice? In this XY collection, we bring together key reports, manuals, and other items of interest.

Also see the recent report, Men Make a Difference: Engaging Men on Gender Equality, commissioned by the Diversity Council Australia and written by Dr Michael Flood and Dr Graeme Russell.

This Promising Practices Guide identifies and discusses key lessons that have been learned from the implementation of the Men as Partners (MAP) programme in South Africa.  These lessons on promising practices have been drawn from the work of the MAP programme partners, including Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa (PPASA), Hope Worldwide, the AIDS Consortium and their affiliates, as well as the Solidarity Centre and their trade union partners.
White Ribbon Canada has released a framework for the evaluation of efforts to engage men and boys in ending gender-based violence. In October 2013, White Ribbon began coordinating a National Community of Practice comprising of organizations with projects funded by Status of Women Canada’s “Working Together: Engaging Communities to End Violence Against Women and Girls.” Together we are building a National Community of Practice focused on sharing lessons learned, challenges and enabling factors in engaging men and boys for gender-based violence prevention.

When Men Change tells the story of four men who changed the way they think about gender equality, sexual and reproductive health, and violence. In recent years, there has been increased interest in exploring how men can contribute to promoting gender equality and preventing violence against women and girls. As the evidence base grows, now is the time to answer the question: “What works to engage men in achieving gender equality?”

Our world is a deeply unequal one. Systemic inequalities which disadvantage women and advantage men are visible around the globe. Whether one looks at political power and authority, economic resources and decision-making, sexual and family relations, or media and culture, one finds gender inequalities. These are sustained in part by constructions of masculinity–by the cultural meanings associated with being a man, the practices which men adopt, and the collective and institutional organisation of men’s lives and relations.