Week 1: Introductions and your understanding of positive masculinities

[Tanza]

Hello friends,

My name is Mutayoba Arbogast working with Karagwe FM,Kagera region in Tanzania,as a journalist and presenter.

Positive masculinity is built into children during early childhood development ,at the age of 0 to eight,the early learning deeply affect their future in physical,cognitive,emotional and social development.

It is at this stage where healthy masculinities start with individual feelings and emotions,when/if they cant hear and see vulnerability,personal traumas and gender-based violence,hence they’ll grow up respecting women rights and obligations.
Positive masculinity is there to show the behaviours and roles of men without undermining the other side.

We should use words and terminology without allowing the possibility of negative effect of harmful masculinity i.e instead of chairman,say chairperson
manhood-humanity/humankind

[edithpeter]

Hello, am Edith Peter Mchewere from Vos fm FM Tanzania

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.

[Banda]

My names are Ruth Banda I work for Petauke Explorers Radio Station as a programs officer and news editor in Petauke district eastern part of Zambia
What is positive masculinity?
In my own understanding positive masculinity is when men take the lead in using their physical and emotional strength to bring healthy behaviors in our respective communities.
Helping the communities to create equal opportunities for both men and women in the society.
Positive masculinity is being honest about oneself feelings, needs and desires but not forgetting to treat others the same way with kindness and respect especially women so that they can build self confidence act together with men.
It is when men at work place have confidence in women to lead and hold decision making positions and avoid sexual harassment in work places.
Positive masculinity is when men use their healthy behaviors avoid situations that lead to gender based violence at family and community level.

[Shatewa]

Hello Everyone

My Names are Shatewa Kanyembo-Radio Producer- National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS), under the Ministry of Agriculture, Lusaka, Zambia.

Positive Masculinity, like many have explained, is when men use their physical and emotional strength to promote healthy behaviors and communities.

My Understanding

While still maintaining their self-worth, this is where men/boys provide an equal environment for both men/boys and women/girls to reach their full potential in their personal and community endeavors.
Positive Masculinity is something that must start at an individual, home/family and eventually community level.
However, in order to achieve meaningful positive masculinity, Tradition, Culture and Religion must not be sidelined.

Thank you.

[somedshahadu]

@Kebby @Donjosh @Busi_Ngcebetsha @Banda @Esau @Shatewa @edithpeter @AlfredJamesMungwa @Angie @AnjelinaMkabili

It was a great pleasure reading all the friendly debates and insightful comments about what it means to be a man in an African context. There have been some interesting points worth highlighting. Patriarchy and hypermasculinity have been rightly identified as a persisting enigma in the fight to end gender-based voilence. Dismantling and changing patriarchal culture unless we engage in collective discussion about its impact on our lives as men and women.
The social expectation on men and boys is regarded as ‘tradition’ and therefore rarely interrogated, even though they are central to understanding and tackling violent masculinity. Cross-cultural studies have unpacked how hegemonic masculinities serve to encourage and legitimise violent practices by men toward other men, women, and children.
Engaging men and boys is important because gender equality programming must ensure that power relations are addressed, particularly power relations between men and boys, along with broader strategies that ensure that institutionalised gender norms are addressed.

There is strong evidence that empowerment, social justice and progressive gender change can best be achieved through strategic partnerships, including gender partnerships with men to ensure that they do not become obstacles to the success of gender equality initiatives. Partnerships with men can open new doors and provide access to valuable resources, through solidarity and cooperation, to achieve social progress for both men and women. I look forward to engaging further with you next week; we’ll unpack and deconstruct masculinity and the socio-economic challenges associated with toxic masculinity. Wishing you all a restful weekend.

Somed Shahadu

[somedshahadu]

@Betty @Buzo @Blessing1 @Bintispark @Charles_LubaoFM @Dave @Dominic01 @Francyn @Franklin @febbyphiri98

Thank you.

[Angie]

And because of marginalizing women it has caused more havoc than good… some women who are not yet married feel they should achieve much in life before they get married and those that have been married tend to go against all odds to compete with there spouses so as to prove a point that they are also able to do what men can do.

[Busi_Ngcebetsha]

Hello everyone

Week 1 is over! Thank you to all who contributed. The week was about getting to know each other and also sharing our own understanding of positive masculinities. We understand this is quite a new term for many of us and thus before contributing we do our own little research, unfortunately that research made us copy and paste from the same source and it ended up being like people are copying each others contributions. We appreciate the effort on those people but we can do better than that.

I enjoyed reading even the examples and experiences that display gender inequality and how positive masculinities can change the situation.

This is a summary of what people shared about their understanding of positive masculinities:

• it refers to the characteristics and responsible behavior specific to men;
• it calls on men to be active in promoting gender equality;
• it is an attitude that should be adopted by men in contributing to the fight against gender inequalities;
• it is an attitude to be adopted by men to treat women as equal partners;
• it is to ensure that men abandon sexist and discriminatory attitudes;
• it promotes men’s commitment to respecting the principle of gender equality;
• it refers to the characteristics and behaviors specific to men
• it is about men recognizing the value of women
• it is the recognition of equality between men and women
• it is an act of promoting gender equality and raising awareness of behaviour change;
• it is the role that the male gender must play to bring men to consider the place of women in the family, society and even in their environment;
• positive masculinity calls for a change of attitude with regards gender inequality

Our gender resource person @somedshahadu also shared some insights and I will quote just one point:

@somedshahadu

There have been some interesting points worth highlighting. Patriarchy and hypermasculinity have been rightly identified as a persisting enigma in the fight to end gender-based violence. Dismantling and changing patriarchal culture unless we engage in collective discussion about its impact on our lives as men and women.

Tomorrow we get deeper into the discussion about positive masculinities.

Cheers

[Thandy]

My name is Thandiwe Maduma, from Siavonga southern province of Zambia. I work for Kariba FM radio in Siavonga as a programmes manager.
Positive masculinity refers to good psysical and emotional traits that are used by men to influence or bring out healthy behaviors in a society.

[josephtembo729]

@Tanza

with individual feelings and emotions,when/if they cant hear and see vulnerability,personal traumas and gender-based violence,hence they’ll grow up respecting women rights and obligations.
Positive

Thanks people, am Joseph Abby Tembo from Pasme radio station Petauke district of Eastern Zambia.
Actually in district Gender Based Violence is still high to women, youths and children. And am grand to report that we have Petauke Men’s Network which is in help of such vices. By offering alternative solutions through preventions messages, link some big issues to Victim Support care Unity and Social welfare for legal support. It also promote gender equity through radio programs and community sensitisations and having church awareness activities which promotes women participation.

[Rosemond9600]

Hi everyone, I am Rosemond Oteng from Ghana currently doing my national service with Kessben tv. But works with Jojem Fm.

My idea on Positive masculinity means when men use their physical and emotional strength to champion healthy behaviors and communities. The following can be a healthy positive masculinity; Address disrespect.
Encourage men to express emotions freely.
Encourage compassion and kindness towards themselves and others.
Listen to experiences and validate feelings.
And Check-in with male friends and loved ones. My community for instance they hate to see a man washing clothes with the wife, they will call you all Kinds of names to the extent of claiming you are bewitched by your wife but I think positive masculinity is a responsibility that we all have to accept. Thank you

[Kebby]

It is a myth and it has not been corrected for a long time now, all elders should think of the damage that has be caused by letting all the young to believe what the elders think should be taught to them by the older generations.

This has also delayed or has destroyed the the contribution from the younger generations in most African traditions.

It is also hindering contributions from girls and women who in most cases are not allowed to speak in the presence of boys and men.

This is so discouraging and should be fought be all well meaning citizens be it male or female.

[Naomi]

Hello everyone,my name is Naomi Ng’andu, a networking officer from Farm Radio International Zambia.
I think positive masculinity is the ability by men and boys to behave in a respectful and good way as they relate to people especially women.
Their behavior should be devoid of violence against women and the vulnerable in society.
Its about having a realization by men that women too are equal partners in development.
In Zambia, there are some organizations like USAID and Kwatu who have partnered with Male social media influencers to talk about the need to end gender based violence against women and issues of power imbalance that leads to gender inequalities.
This step in my view is positive masculinity because Male social media influencers are being used to propagate good things for the greater good of the society just by using their physical and emotional strengths.

[Jipbanda]

My name is Jipson Banda, Malawi. Working for Nyanthepa Community Radio as Programs Manager.

Positive masculinity is encompassed with the synergy rule where a gender must always see a need for the other gender to achieve the best. Just as in the functionalism theory

[mathewos]

Hello,iam mathewos feleke from FanaBroadcasting Coroporate FBC,wolaita soddo branch,journalist.
i have working with farm radio international for the last five years in differnt topics.
i am happy now participating in gender issues which is cronic problem in our area wolaita,especially female gentile mutilation and other problems occuring widely.

[411699741]

Hi, my name is Brenda Michelo from BYTA FM Choma southern ZAMBIA.

[777]

My name is Albert Mwiinga from Choma an agricultural hub town of the Southern Province of Zambia. I am working with Byta FM Radio Station located in Choma, but with repeater transmission to other three districts in the province. This make the station cover almost three quarters of the Southern Province of Zambia. I am involved in station management, but i am also involved with production of programmes, among them those focusing on agriculture.

My understanding of masculinity is that which makes men who they are, behaviors and other characteristics that society views as being manly. Such as strength, courage, fearleness among others. Positively masculinity therefore is when such characteristics are directed in a way that is constructive for the betterment of others and not when they are misused or abused. For example strength can be used to protect other weaker members of society as opposed to abusing them.

[411699741]

Hi ,i think positive masculinity is that men can be positive, responsible and consider their partners as a complement. men should not also compliment efforts by women and not looking down on them. 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.

[777]

I totally agree with you. The unique characteristics that men are endowed with must be used to uplift others, especially the other gender. Only then can their masculinity prove to be for positive influence. It should not be used to suppress the other gender’s inadequacy in characteristics that make men and women what they each are.