Week 1: Introductions and your understanding of positive masculinities

Gender Equality - Positive Masculinities
#13

My name is Evelyn Balozi working at ELCT-NED Utume FM Radio based in Lushoto district -Tanga Tanzania

Earlier didn’t know the meaning of positive masculinity, however after joining discussion today I took a time to study different articles.

According to Garrett Michael Carlson it mean when men use their physical and emotional strength to champion healthy behaviors and communities. Positive masculinity is the antithesis of toxic masculinity. The focus of positive masculinity is to help generations of men learn healthy behaviors and then develop more robust communities.

In my opinion It means impartiality and an attempt not to limit oneself based on gender expectations.

So that as media experts, I think it is our obligation to set the agenda for gender expectations., We need to identify and highlight the positive qualities of masculinity to help show men how they should behave.

2 Likes
#14

Hello everyone,
My name is Angela Ndonga
Iam from Kalomo Southern Zambia. I work at Voice of Kalomo Radio Station. Iam a Journalist and a Public Relations’ officer by profession , I am the station manager.

Coming to what I understand about Positive Masculinity.
This is when men use their physical strength to develop healthy masculinity. They suppress there emotions just because they are men. For example where men are told not to cry in public just because they are to be strong. But Positive Masculinity teaches men to express themselves and also have female friends also building self- reliance

2 Likes
#15

Maila pride from Voice of kalomo community radio station. Journalist / presenter.

Interesting topic here. Well Positive masculinity according to my understanding is when men use their physical and emotional strength to champion healthy behaviors and communities. Positive masculinity is the antithesis of toxic masculinity. The focus of positive masculinity is to help generations of men learn healthy behaviors and then develop more robust communities.

It’s about displaying vulnerability, emotional intelligence, and moral courage. It demands a re-examination of what it means to be a man—to redefine how the world envisions “masculinity.”

1 Like
#16

My names are BANDA THAYO from Nyimba fm radio as radio producer from Eastern part of Zambia

Our world is a deeply unequal one. Systemic inequalities which disadvantage women and advantage men are visible around the globe. Whether on 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.

Engaging men in gender equality: Positive strategies and approaches: Overview and annotated bibliography

Emily Esplen

Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, 2006

There has been much resistance on the part of some women to involving men in gender and development work–driven by fears about the dilution of the feminist agenda, and by anxieties over the diversion of limited resources away from women’s empowerment initiatives and back into the hands of men. Yet not engaging with men and boys may limit the effectiveness of development interventions, and may actually intensify gender inequalities.

Development interventions which aim to improve women’s employment and income generating opportunities, for example, are likely to compound women’s heavy work burdens unless efforts are made to encourage men to take greater responsibility for child care and domestic chores. Projects that focus solely on women may also reinforce existing gender stereotypes (women as carers, men as breadwinners, and so on). Involving men, by contrast, can generate a broader consensus on issues which have previously been marginalised as being of interest to women only–sexual and reproductive health.

Positive masculinities and gender-based violence educational interventions among young people: a systematic review

Vanesa Pérez-Martínez, Jorge Marcos-Marcos, Ariadna Cerdán-Torregrosa, Erica Briones-Vozmediano, Belen Sanz-Barbero, MCarmen Davó-Blanes, Nihaya Daoud, Clarie Edwards, Mariano Salazar, Daniel La Parra-Casado, Carmen Vives-Cases

Background:

Hegemonic masculinity has been recognized as contributing to the perpetration of different forms of gender-based violence (GBV). Abandoning hegemonic masculinities and promoting positive masculinities are both strategies used by interventions that foreground a “gender-transformative approach.” Preventing GBV among young people could be strengthened by engaging young men. In this article, we aim to systematically review the primary characteristics, methodological quality, and results of published evaluation studies of educational interventions that aim to prevent different forms of GBV through addressing hegemonic masculinities among young people.

Main body:

We conducted a systematic review of available literature (2008–2019) using Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, PsycInfo, the CINAHL Complete Database, and ERIC as well as Google scholar. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication was used for data extraction, and the quality of the selected studies was analyzed using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool. More than half of the studies were conducted in Africa ( n = 10/15) and many were randomized controlled trials ( n = 8/15). Most of the studies with quantitative and qualitative methodologies ( n = 12/15) reported a decrease in physical GBV and/or sexual violence perpetration/victimization ( n = 6/15). Longitudinal studies reported consistent results over time.

2 Likes
#17

Hello, am Alfred James Mungwa, from Nyimba FM Radio Station in Eastern Province of Great Nation Zambia.

To My understanding, Masculinity is one of the struggles with so much of the literature surrounding the toxic masculinity, or the harms that gender norms cause.

Men are taught an early age of what isn’t manly doseand does which they must do or must avoid being weak, emotional, and shy.

It is when men uses their physical and emotional strength to champion healthy behaviors and communities. Positive masculinity is the antithesis of toxic masculinity. The focus of positive masculinity is to help generations of men learn healthy behaviors and then develop more robust communities.

1 Like
#18

My name Positively s Kebby Sianjame from Voice of Kalomo Community radio station in Zambia.
Masculinities is the ability for men to use their superiority to help other men, women and the growing male youths. This includes respect for others especially their opposite gender. This is because so traditional cultures in Zambia will not allow females and youths to make decisions in some discussion. Hence forth men should come out and support wemen by giving them equal opportunity of decision making positions.

3 Likes
About the Gender Equality - Positive Masculinities category
#19

My name is Mariama Sowe, a Media trainer from Freetown Sierra Leone. Its a pleasure to Once again be part of discussions on Gender. For me positive masculinity means when men accept to embrace women irrespective the Gender differences. They see women in the good light for instance not have the mentality that women are inferior and men are superior. It is when society at an early age teach boys on how to treat girls fairly because the issues start in these early days. Society needs to work harder to create positive masculinity so that men will always work towards putting women in good light and not looking down on them.

1 Like
#20

1.My name is Maybin Augustine Katungulu a broadcast journalist working at YGFM RADIO in CHOMA, Zambia. Currently am working as Assistant manager/News Editor/producer.
2. My understanding of positive masculinity is when people deliberately blind themselves by way of not looking at themselves as men or women instead focus on what they can contribute towards the development of society. In this case both men and women use their emotional and physical strength to achieve one goal, which is development. I also feel, positive masculinity is when people use their emotional and physical strength to challenge traditional norms and practices which undermine the progress of both men and women in society

2 Likes
#21

Hi guys,
My name is Blessing Uwechia.
I work with Farm Radio International in Plateau State, Nigeria.

my understanding of positive masculinity is that men can be positive, responsible and consider their partners as a complement. They are supportive of their female counterpart, whether at home, workplace or in society. Rather than see them as competitors or less humans, they see them as complements and treat them as such from decision making at home, work and community. Positive masculinity look to men as advocates and champions of this human behavior towards their counterparts. If this is achieved, the world will be a better place.

2 Likes
#22

Your right Patrick. Practical positive Masculinity is every one’s responsibility, I can imagine what a beautiful world it can be if we choose to rise and grow a generation of Men that use Thier energies and status to improve, support the status of women and girls in communities. N achieving this starts with u and I doing what we can in our personal spaces.

1 Like
#23

Hello @MAYBIN @Blessing1 @Bintispark @Mamsul @Mailaprid @Angie @Kebby @Joseph90 @Dominic01 @Donjosh @Liche @thayobanda9

Welcome all, we are delighted to have you on board. I like the fact that someone said she knew nothing about positive masculinity but as the discussion started, she decided to read some articles and get a better understanding of what it is all about. This is one of the reason we have these discussions, they are educational and will also help our fellow broadcasters educate their listeners so that we may all be in a better and healthier environment.

The contributions are interesting, please also make sure you comment on other people’s posts. Let me quote a few points from the contributions:

1 Like
#24

My names are Chipo Nachibbatu from vision community Radio Macha in zambia

Positive masculinitylies is when men use their physical and emotional strength to champion health behaviors and communities.

Positive musculninity is the anthesis of toxic masculinity.

The focus of positive musculninity is to help generation of men learn health behaviors and then develop more robust communities.

1 Like
About the Gender Equality - Positive Masculinities category
#25

Hello @nachibbatuchipo85

Welcome to the platform. We are glad you have joined us. I trust we will all learn from each other’s contributions.

Enjoy

#26

The pick by the facilitator, Busi from all the participants is very interesting though we had different definitions of positive masculinity but at the end of the day am seeing ourselves talking about one thing which is creating a society where both men and women have equal opportunities. This also calls for affirmative measures to ensure noone is disadvantaged or their rights are infringed upon.

1 Like
#27

Am gwangwazu Eraston from voice of kalomo radio station in ZAMBIA southern province
Positive masculinity is were men understand that can not afford Alon without a women
Men should treat women as equal

1 Like
#28

Thanks for this discussion because I started to learn a different thought about it from different people who are looking for Gender equality

2 Likes
#29

Sure, this behavior is one of primitive lifestyle which hindering the active Gender Equity to the society.

2 Likes
#30

Absolutely Betty the journey starts now

#31

Each society has its own way of behavior. Some cultures also contribute in the way males should and must behave. Like us the Luvale, Men are taught on how to behave in society and with the opposite sex. They can not do certain things just because they are male and the opposite sex is not expected to say or do anything to them just because they are male. So it will be vital to engage traditional leaders.

2 Likes
#32

hello everyone Haggai Sinkolongo, from Zambia, Mufulira District ( District Agriculture Information Officer in Ministry of Agriculture) for me my understanding about positive masculinities It means open-mindedness and an attempt not to limit oneself based on gender expectations.”

1 Like