Week 3: Relation between positive masculinities and ending gender based violence

Gender Equality - Positive Masculinities
#1

Hello everyone

We are in the third week of our discussion on positive masculities. If you have just joined us, remember to go back to Week 1 and Week 2 topics to contribute.

Last week we discussed masculinities and religious and traditional norms. A lot of issues came up as well as some suggestions on how to advocate for men to share responsibilities more equally.

This week we are talking about the relation between positive masculinities and ending gender based violence.

Here are some questions to help guide the discussion:

  1. What is your understanding of gender based violence?
  2. How can positive masculinities be a solution to ending gender based violence?

Click on reply and respond to the questions. Also make sure you comment on other people’s posts.

Happy discussing!

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#2
  1. Gender based violence (GBV) refers to physical, verbal and emotional abuse which men and women suffer at the hands of each other. This GBV mostly happen in the form of domestic violence which mainly invove wives and husbands including their children.
    2.If men can change their attitudes or behaviours and realizes that women are equal partners in marriages, it’s possible to see the reduction in the number of GBV cases. One of the reasons women experience GBV at the hands of their men counterparts is because of lack financial independence. Therefore, it is essential women are empowered to avoid over dependency on men
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#3

My take about the
Relation between positive masculinities and ending gender based violence.

What is your understanding of gender based violence?

Gender-based violence for short (GBV) is violence that is directed or inflicted at an individual based on his or her biological sex or gender identity. It includes; physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, psychological abuse, threats, coercion, economic, political, religious or educational deprivation, whether occurring in public or private life.

How can positive masculinities be a solution to ending gender based violence?

As individuals, it is important we reflect on our own attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls (vice versa), and the
ways in which these attributes and behaviours contributes to greater equality for women and girls.
Also, we need to
reflect on our privileges and power and how best to deploy it without intimidation.

As parents, we need to raise boys/girls with the values and practices of transformative masculinities.

As friends of other
men, we need to
talk to our male friends about the importance of gender equality for women and
girls, as well as the benefits of transformative masculinities for boys and men.

We need to challenge our male friends when they express sexist attitudes that disrespect
the rights of women and girls by pointing out the damage that such attitudes
can do.

As friends of
women affected
by violence,
we need to ask her how she is doing and if there are practical ways to help (e.g.accompanying
her to the health clinic and the police etc). This makes the person comfortable and feels protected.

As community
members,
we need to get involved in community campaigns on violence against women and girls.

We need to demand that the police and courts fulfil their duties to prosecute perpetrators
of violence against women and girls.

As law
enforcement and
judicial officials, we need to
get training on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
and legal remedies available.

Where laws on violence against women and girls exist, enforce the law.

As community
leaders, we need to
show leadership in promoting the values of transformative masculinities and
gender equality.

We need to initiate efforts to change community norms and practices that maintain violence in whatever colouration.

As media, we need to ensure consistent reportage, coverage and engagements of all stakeholders in addressing norms feeding and or fertilizing gender based violence.

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#4

Gender Based Violence(GBV) is when males harass females physically,mentally and spiritually, violating their rights and obligations,denying them important opportunities such as education and employments.

Positive masculinities can be a solution to end BGV,men should its not just them(men) who can make the world happy to live but when women take their positions.

As men as acrucial role to play,as decionmakers,fathers community,organisations,political pafties and national leaders, have the obligations of advocating against GBV and they themselves end it in their families.

Also have to ‘mobilise’ for some women who are reluctant to come out of patriarchy,afraid of betraying their parents’ early learning and education in patriarchy.
Also have to help women who sometimes are ghe cause of violence.For example in a certain region of Lake regions in Tanzania,around Lake Victoria,a woman could not go to bed with her lover until they have exchanged fights,and after a woman had been punched aggressively,it is when she feels OK to ‘respond’.

And sometimes the GBV is occurred between women.We have seen some women fighting one onother in the streets and shouting disgusting words in public.

A certain Member of Parliament posted a picture of three leaders in Kagera region,who were attending a certain event,naming the two by their names abd positions,a third one,a woman,introduced her as ‘our giraffe’(huyu ni twiga wetu in Swahili), thinking she was painting her beauty,of course she is beatiful,tall,and smart looking,but knowingly or unknowingly,this should be rejected by women themselves

They should smash stereotypes,rejecting discrimination and break inequality.

Positive masculinities should collaborate with counterparts women to end gender based violence.

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#5

Week 3: The relationship between positive masculinities and ending gender-based violence

At the outset, we need to clarify that GBV is not only violence against women or girls alone. It can also be violence against men and boys. The proper definition of GBV is that Gender-based violence, as the name denotes, is violence that one perpetrates against another human being because of the latter’s gender. So, GBV is a two-edged sword :dagger:. It can mean violence one perpetrates on a woman/girl or a man/boy. The common denominator is, because of their gender.

There is a good reason, of course, why, when we hear the acronym GBV we think about violence against women and girls, perpetrated by men/boys. The majority of cases involve men against women.

There is also a case of misinterpretation in my local language, Chichewa. We say: Nkhanza kwa amayi/atsikana, meaning Cruelty against women/girls. The translation is one-sided. Based on this translation, we need not wonder when most male victims of GBV do not open up and sometimes end up committing suicide.

If we defined GBV correctly, we would be able to look at all sides of the problem, make balanced analysis :face_with_monocle:, and be able to propose effective remedial measures. So, my suggestion is that as we review GBV, we should consider how both positive masculinity and femininity can help resolve the problem. If, as broadcasters, we are seen to be neutral as we actively make efforts to eliminate GBV in all its forms, we would stand a better chance of winning the fight.

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#6

GBV Is a bad treatment of a person to an opposite sex
In most cases people say man are the culprit which is very force .
Because sometimes a woman can deny to have s*x with her husband.
Yes of course men are too involved but even the women are the one sometimes leading men to be culprit.

  • Since positive masculinity encourage men to consider women as important in Community.
    This will help men not to abuse the women .
    It is helping us to involving the women in everything we do , at family level, community level, country level , world at large.
    Let everyone fell at home in education, agricultural, speech, movement etc

Remember no woman no development.
We succeed in life because of women

And women can not afford without men

1 Like
#7

This topic is my best
There are jobs which are too heavy to give a woman can gbv
Gender balance is not encouraging men to give their responsibilities to the women
Let be wait for other comments.

#8

Hello all. To me, gender based violence is that type of violence which happens between a man and wife, girl and boy. This violence could be either physical or emotional. The victim/ survivor depends on the situation i.e it could be a man in certain instances and a woman to some. This violence usually takes place at but not limited to home. Even in workplaces it is not surprising to find it.

Men could play an important role by using their influence to be exemplary everywhere to highlight GBV and also teach that it is not ok. Men could join campaigns and spread the message far and wide that women are not punching bag, they are not sex objects but humans equal to them who ought to be treated fairly. They could use their influence in every sphere of their life, be it church or social clubs to advocate for the rights of women and how to reduce cases of GBV. Women too should compliment men in these efforts.

#9

Hello :wave:
1.What is your understanding of gender-based violence?
Is any act of violence that results 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 in private life.
2.How can Positive masculinities be a solution to end gender-based violence?
Men have a responsibility to make sure they give time and space to listen to women and to work on the ideas and challenges they face and not to make men accept only men’s directives. violence against women even at the community level in general.
Men have a responsibility to provide decision-making positions for women at higher levels of decision-making in families and communities.
It is time for men to realize that the issue of child rearing is the responsibility of husband and wife and not just wife to create equality for children in the family and not to exclude children from gender.

#10

Hello everyone

Week 3 continues!

Great contributions so far about the understanding of gender based violence. We ask this because it can mean a lot of different things to different people. A lot of times it is associated with abuse of women and children but I also like and acknowledge the contributions that state that both men and women can be abused, the difference is that men tend not to report cases of abuse. When we talk about gender, we are not only talking about women but about both sexes.

One of our resource persons @⁨SK⁩ mentioned that GBV is can of worms that is fueled everywhere. He further mentioned that we need to focus on the root causes of GBV and take care of the smaller issues that trigger the big issues like how men and women or boys and girls relate.

In finding a relationship between positive masculinities and ending GBV, @Donjosh said parents need to raise boys and girls with the values and practices of transformative masculinities. @AnjelinaMkabili said society should stop judging what a certain individual is doing based on their gender e.g. a man cooking in the house but should know everyone can do any kind of work or chores. Someone also said men should use their power to create opportunities for women to take up high decision making positions not with the mind of challenging men.

That is just a few quotations as there are more contributions. Most people believe men should consider women as important in the community and that will help them not abuse women, women should be involved in everything men do, positive masculinity helping one realise the need for recognizing his or her responsibilities while observing the rights of others

Lets keep discussing!

#11

Do you know why the number of divorce is increasing day by day?

women misinterpreted gender role.

People according to my understanding , there are certain things which women can be given to do

women want to be superior than men

Women want to be head of a house .

**** You can’t put on a lady make dress just because you want to balance gender.
###* in leadership everyone is involved
*Decision making everyone is involved

The important issue is to end GBV
Which means no one should treated badly

#12

Hello everyone!
Week 3 submissions.

What is your understanding of gender based violence.

ANS: Gender based violence refers to violence against a person due to their gender.
However,in our society the word GBV is usually associated to violence against women and girls. This violence can either be physical,verbal emotional and mental abuse.Deprivation of fundamental freedoms and liberties because of one’s gender is also a form of gender based violence.
Men on the other hand despite being victims of gender based violence do not come out in the open and report such cases for fear of being laughing stocks in the communities.
This is mainly attributed to the cultural norm that men are always strong.
To date gender based violence cases against men are still under reported due to stigma associated with the consequences of bringing such cases to the fore.

How can positive masculinities be a solution to ending gender based violence?
ANS: Men must be involved in programs that seeks to end gender inequality which contributes to gender based violence.
The government and cooperating partners must engage men and boys to champion practices that seeks to achieve gender equality.
Men and boys can be involved in spreading messages about the importance of women in national development.
Men must be in the fore front to condemn violence against women and girls.
Men should simply take a leading role in promoting responsible practices of how they should behave towards members of society.

Men should begin to view women as reliable partners if they are to achieve meaningful development in societies and nation as a whole.
Men should never ever look at women as fragile but challenge them to make bold decisions about their life on how they can stay independent and confident as well as take up positions of influence in the affairs of the country.

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#13

Hope women you enjoyed your day

Am thinking of creating Men’s day that’s only way we can teach each other concerning gender balance.
There’s no one teaching men to understand gender unless someone went to school, now what about those men who’re not educated.
Most of times women are learning and told about gender in there meeting places including like International women’s day
I submit

#14

Morning everyone

Yesterday was a great day. It was nice to see the International Women’s Day being honoured and broadcasters sharing about the day’s events.

We are still in Week 3, about your understanding of gender based violence and how positive masculinities can be a solution to end GBV.

It is quite interesting to note the comments on this and how some people believe women are sometimes the cause of the abuse they suffer. Some even believe gender equality would cause women to disrespect and challenge men negatively.

What is your take? Is gender equality about shifting power from men to women or is it about equal responsibilities?

We have been talking about positive masculinities and last week we saw how culture and religion has an influence on male superiority or power. The question is how can we use that superiority or power to end the violence against women and girls since they are the most who suffer GBV?

Let us hear from you!

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#15

Wow! It’s week three already and personally I have learnt of things from this platform. To answer this week’s discussion firstly.

  1. What is your understanding of gender based violence?

· According to my understanding gender based violence is Gender-based violence is a phenomenon deeply rooted in gender inequality, and continues to be one of the most notable human rights violations within all societies. Gender-based violence is violence directed against a person because of their gender. Both women and men experience gender-based violence but the majority of victims are women and girls.

· For example in Zambia more than a third of all women and girls have experienced physical violence in their lives, and 17% of women have experienced sexual violence. The country faces some of the highest rates of reported gender-based violence in the world.

· Gender-based violence and violence against women are terms that are often used interchangeably as it has been widely acknowledged that most gender-based violence is inflicted on women and girls, by men. However, using the ‘gender-based’ aspect is important as it highlights the fact that many forms of violence against women are rooted in power inequalities between women and men.

  1. How can positive masculinities be a solution to ending gender based violence?

· Men are Key to stop or reduce gender based violence by getting involved in childcare and form closer connections with your children from the beginning.

· Also Children e.g. boys should be raised freely /same way like girls and free from harmful stereotypes.

· Men should seek opportunities to really listen to women’s stories, acknowledge their experiences, and then inform other men and participate in campaigns aiming to prevent violence against women.

· Challenge harmful masculine norms that encourage violence among other genders. Open up and talk with your friends, peers, and coworkers: call out sexist ideas, jokes, and language; reflect on the ways you have been raised, and how to continue to do better as allies for gender equality.

Thanks.

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#16

Gender based violence is any harm or violence which is inflicted on someone because of gender,can be physical where someone is assaulted or can even be emotional etc .Both men and women experience gender based violence though the majority of victims of gbv are women and girls.

I feel for gbv to end there is need to co-exist between a man and woman as well as the need to continue sensitizing the communities in order to prevent and advocate against Gbv.I feel there is also need for Gbv survivors to come on the open and talk about what they are going through especially where violence is concerned because alot of women thou are the ones who are much abused keep quiet and hence no help is given to them.
Traditional leaders are also vital if gbv is to end especially through sensitization through different programs that aim to discourage gbv to the young boys at a tender age thereby already impacting them with positive masculinity

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#17

Good afternoon,

Happy Woman International Day and Month,

My response to what I understand what gender based violence is

This is violence that maybe in form of physical, emotional and psychological inflicted towards an individual regardless of their gender orientation, either Male or Female,

2.How can positive masculinities be a solution to ending gender-based violence?

Having identified that to achieve the goal of peace, men and women should work together to establish ways and means of moving, empowering, and working together to celebrate our different gender orientations without looking down on anyone, we need each other as human beings to achieve the good,

It’s not a competition of who is better, but in diversity, we are strong together as a unit, Men who are victims of violence just as women should speak out against the vice, and seek counsel if they happen to be the ones victimized, it also helps to identify reliable people in the community who can help in such cases.

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#18

My Names are Joseph Mashingo from Kwenje Radio(Chama).

My understanding on gender based violence is: Gender-based violence refers to any type of harm that is perpetrated against a person or group of people because of their factual or perceived sex, gender, sexual orientation and/or gender identity .

Gender-based violence is based on an imbalance of power and is carried out with the intention to humiliate and make a person or group of people feel inferior and/ or subordinate . This type of violence is deeply rooted in the social and cultural structures, norms and values that govern society, and is often perpetuated by a culture of denial and silence. Gender-based violence can happen in both the private and public spheres and it affects women disproportionately.

Gender-based violence can be sexual, physical, verbal, psychological (emotional), or socio-economic and it can take many forms, from verbal violence and hate speech on the Internet, to rape or murder. It can be perpetrated by anyone : a current or former spouse/partner, a family member, a colleague from work, schoolmates, friends, an unknown person, or people who act on behalf of cultural, religious, state, or intra-state institutions. Gender-based violence , as with any type of violence, is an issue involving relations of power . It is based on a feeling of superiority , and an intention to assert that superiority in the family, at school, at work, in the community or in society as a whole.

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#19

Hello everyone

All contributions acknowledged. Gender based violence is really a serious issue. Both women and men experience gender-based violence but the majority of victims are women and girls . Gender-based violence and violence against women are terms that are often used interchangeably as it has been widely acknowledged that most gender-based violence is inflicted on women and girls, by men.

There are different causes of gender based violence. I will point just two, socialization and situational factors. Socialization is a process where people learn specific social behavior, along with the rules, attitudes, values, and norms that guide interactions with others. Situational factors refer to the characteristics of the environment, such as stress or
aggression in others, that encourage violent behavior. In this case for an example, if a child grew up in an abusive environment, chances are s/he will be abusive in the future. Not all of them though. Taking into account these causes, there is a lot that needs to be done in the family, community and society at large. In Week 1 we shared our understanding of positive masculinities and the popular understanding was about men using their physical and emotional strength to champion healthy behaviours and communities. A healthy community is one where ALL residents have access to quality education, safe and healthy homes etc. So I believe positive masculinities can be a solution to ending gender based violence and this can be done by men encouraging healthy behaviours. They can do this through role modelling and campaigns so that our youth can learn from them.

#20

Hello Folks, Am Alfred James Mungwa Producer and Presenter of Agricultural Radio Program at Nyimba FM Radio in Zambia.

Here is my understanding on this week’s Relationship between Positive masculinity and ending gender based violence.
Firstly.

Gender-Based violence, by definition, can be refered to as any harmful act that is directed at an individual based on their gender.

It is rooted in gender inequality, the abuse of power and harmful norms.

These three parameters are found to be core areas of discussion when it comes to GBV issues.
For relationship between positive masculinity and ending gender based violence, one has to think about how male physical, emotional and psychological effects on women can be stopped and rather turned into much more support for them. A situation where men meat out obnoxious acts to females, should rather be reversed. They should show love and compassion by sharing household work load and allowing women some breathing space.

When man have the power to slap on the face of his wife, he should rather ask questions for explanation and dialogue. Men should also allow women to take decisions at home level, because women are very intelligent and good managers.
In short, exerting physical strength on women by beating them or passing them through psychological stress should be turned to love and compassion. These are some of the ways positive masculinity can end gender based violence.

On the other hand, Some women misinterpret what gender equality is, they end up big headed to their husbands such that they complete stop respecting them, and due to this we have high numbers of divorces than ever before, high numbers of husbands committing suicides.

I submit

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