Male Involvement in preventing VIOLENCE

AGAINST WOMEN

PIUS ADEJOH

By the end of this session, participants should be able to:

explain the role of men in combating gender based violence.

Learning Objectives

“Any act of gender-based violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life."

Violence against Women

GBV may be perpetrated by males and females alike.

However, global evidence indicates that men are the

majority perpetrators of GBV against girls and women and also against fellow men .

But they can and should be actors against the vice

.

A lack of identification with the victim. A perception of the situation as one that

calls for violence. A decision to act violently The means of doing harm to the other

person.

Why Men Choose to be Violent

There are several roles men and boys can play to eliminate violence against women in the society

Already there are some men who are against violence against women and young girls.

However, they are not speaking out publicly Thus there is the need not only to get men

involved but also expand the number of men actively taking action in their communities to end violence against women

Engaging Men

Men and boys can do one of the following: Working on themselves Serving as a mentor or a good role model Taking Action as a neighbour, friend,

bystander Men/boys as allies

WHAT MEN/BOYS CAN DO

This is the foundation. Charity they say, begins at home

Behavioural change should start at home, within the family.

This is because you can not offer what you do not have

Men/boys should start asking themselves the following questions:

How do I treat the immediate people (women/girls)around me- mother, mother-inlaw, wife, sister, daughter, niece?

Working on Themselves

Am I in any way controlling, manipulative or abusive?

Working on Themselves

Treat the women in our lives with respect

Equalize relationships

Resist sexism and violence

Inform yourself

Resist “settling”

Take action

Behave Nonviolently

Serving as a mentor or a good role model is a vital and effective way men and boys can preach the message of stopping violence against women/young girls

Role models set examples for others to emulate. Thus a man and young boy who exhibits respect for the bodily integrity of young girls and non violent options for resolving a conflict with the feminine gender , can influence those around him positively

SERVING AS A MENTOR/ROLE MODEL

Mentors are also role models as people look up to them

They are fathers, uncles, bosses, coaches, community leaders, religious leaders etc

SERVING AS A MENTOR/ROLE MODEL (Contd….)

A bystander can be anybody- neighbour, friend, class maye, co-worker,team mate, or even some one unknown to you

As a bystander, you are not the target of the violent act, but you are affected by the violence, because you happen to be cl;ose to the site of the occurrence.

Often times, men witness acts of violence against women both in public and private places

TAKING ACTION AS NEIGHBOURS/FRIENDS/BYSTANDERS

By speaking out against violence against women/young girls as a bystander, men/young boys are saying it is a socially unacceptable behaviour

They are saying the victim does not have to be my sister, friend or neighbour, before condemning her victimisation

Men/young boys as bystanders can prevent, interrupt or intervene in abusive situations

TAKING ACTION AS NEIGHBOURS/FRIENDS/BYSTANDERS

Men can serve very well in this capacity, because of the several privileges they have in society, especially because of their numerical strenght in position of authority- public life and decision making

Men can influence policies and legislative changes, that can curb gender based violence

MEN AS ALLIES

Men and young boys who ally with women to eliminate violence against women, recognise the numerous benefits of gender and social equality in their own lives, and in the lives of women around them such as their mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and colleagues

MEN AS ALLIES (contd….)

Male Significant others Bystanders Male as volunteers Men who have perpetrated violence Men in groups

Engaging Men

Men are potential partners capable of playing a positive role in eliminating violence against women

They need to be supported to recognise and address violence against women close to them

Opportunities also have to be created for them learn skills necessary to eliminate violence against women

Strategies for male involvement

Encourage men to play active roles in the elimination of violence against women in the following ways:

1. Play important role in reinforcing positive social norms

2. Regard violence on any person as barbaric and inhuman not withstanding whether the person is related to you or not

3. Get support of family members to destroy out-dated and oppressive cultural values

4. Providing succour and justice to abused and violated women

Strategies for male male involvement

5. Build partnerships with support groups for abused women especially in the area of advocacy and social justice

6. Promote activities across the spectrum of prevention of VAW- promoting community education, strenghting individual knowledge and skills, educating rights keepers, fostering coalition and networks, community mobilization, influencing policy legislation etc

Strategies for male male involvement (contd….)

Dialogue and Public Educationa) Create forums for men and women to open

up and discuss GBV .b) Engage other men for critical conversations

about masculinity in order to challenge the mindset that masculinity inheres in violence.

c) Develop and disseminate multi-media advocacy messages that do not blame men wholesale but appeal to them to take action against GBV.

Outreacha) Mobilize men and women activists from

diverse backgrounds to combat GBV .b) Identify and use strategic entry points to

fight GBV e.g. religious institutions, youth and women’s groups, fishermen’s associations etc.

c) Recruit men from strategic institutions such as security agencies, sports, politics and the business sector to enhance collaborative work in fighting GBV.

Other Strategies

Role Modellinga) Show through personal example that it is

possible for men to be non-violent and be masculine.

b) Testify about own transformation in order to influence others to change.

c) Be ready to sacrifice personal comfort and take risks in fighting GBV.

d) Be honest, impartial and accountable in handling GBV in order not to be compromised.

Other Strategies contd….

Capacity Building and Support a) Develop own and other men’s technical knowledge on gender equality and GBV.

b) Develop social support mechanisms for men fighting GBV for encouragement,

motivation and solidarity. c) Establish links for cross-area response to GBV, experience sharing and learning.

Other Strategies contd….

Partnership a) Work in collaboration rather than in

competition with women and women’s organizations to eradicate GBV.

b) Work with various partner organizations to provide multi-sectoral assistance to survivors e.g. medical, legal and psycho-social service providers.

c) Work with the mass media to sustain focus on and campaign against GBV.

d) Work with and assist organisations to initiate and sustain anti-GBV initiatives

Other Strategies contd….

Behave Nonviolently

Taking individual action

Join Collective Efforts

What Men Can do(Michael Flood, 2011)

Support women or men who have been victimized◦ Listen◦ Believe◦ Respect

Challenge/Care-front abusive men◦ Set a standard◦ Talk to your friends◦ Hold Accountable

Take Action Individually

© 2012 Rus Ervin Funk, all rights reserved

Become an ally

Challenge Social Norms

Provide Information

Challenge assumptions

Use humor

Talk to other men

Join a Men’s Group

Don’t use pornography

Take Action

© 2012 Rus Ervin Funk, all rights reserved

Start with men you know Start with these men with where they are (not where you wish they were or think they should be)

Create points of entrée Support their development Invite them to do the work, not listen to a conversation

Effective Strategies

Invite to be further involved Provide resources Connect him/them with others Support through their learning Provide additional support

Supporting Male Allies

Why do you want to engage men?

Because they “need to get it” Because they can be ambassadors for your

organization/mission Because they are core partners in prevention Because they have been victimized Because they love women or men who have

been victimized Because most men do not agree with men’s

violence, yet they do nothing to challenge or stop it – so they need to be mobilised to prevent violence

Why Engage Men

Because men are not born violent; they learn it and become violent because of beliefs and norms about what it is to be a man- so we need to work with men and boys to change those beliefs and norms

Men have the potential to stop violence Gender based violence has continued despite

years of anti- violence work Men and boys listen to their peers Decision makers and opinion leaders are mostly

men

1. Speak Out against violence against women and girls

The voice of men speaking against violence against women can be particularly powerful and Network of Men Leaders need to be organized around the world.

2. Create Awareness about the dangers of GBV

3. Research on the forms and extent of violence against women and girls and ways to eliminate them.

WHAT WE NEED TO DO

4. Advocacy and Campaigns on eliminating violence against women and girls.

5. Provide services to victims of violence against women and girls including free legal aid and counseling services and shelters for victims of violence.

6. Abolition of harmful traditional practices such as FGM, widowhood practices, and other harmful practices.

CONTD….

7. Legal reform including review of existing laws, enactment of law on violence against women and enforcement of existing laws.

8. Reform of law enforcement on issues of violence against women including awareness creation and sensitization, training, re-training and re-orientation of law enforcement officers, research and advocacy and sanctions.

Police Service Commission (2012), Domestic Violence Policy for the Nigeria Police Force.

9. Organise Network of Men leaders to support

women organizations and advocate for elimination of violence against women

CONTD….

The work of the men to men movement shows that response to GBV follows the pattern.

RESCUE FOLLOW UP REFERRAL

Pattern of Response to GBV

This is the physical removal of the target of violence from the perpetrator and apprehension of the latter.

REFERRAL This is a system of actions through which the

survivor is linked to specialized support depending on need.

RESCUE

Thank-You!!!