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Training to Engage Men in Gender Equality��Steven Botkin, Ed.D.�

MenEngage Alliance; February 8, 2024

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“Male Gender Consciousness: A Study of College Men”

1988

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Social Justice Education

University of Massachusetts - Amherst

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Popular Education

We are learners supporting each other on a journey of consciousness raising towards our individual and collective liberation.

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    • Create norms of safety and respect for all participants.
    • Use dialogue about personal experiences for consciousness raising about shared social problems.
    • Bring compassionate attention to group dynamics and the challenges of the learning process.
    • Integrate emotional and body centered experience into the learning process.
    • Work together to developing strategies for individual and collective action to address shared problems.

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In 1982 a group of men began meeting in Massachusetts USA

to discuss masculinity and address men’s violence.��

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1982

1983

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Incorporated 1988

MISSION:

support men, challenge men’s violence, and develop men’s leadership in ending oppression in our lives, our families, and our communities.

  • male-positive
  • pro-feminist
  • gay-affirmativ
  • anti-racist

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Men’s Support Groups.

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Men Overcoming Violence batterer intervention program.

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Collaborations with the local women’s centers.

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Protests, celebrations, signature campaigns.

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Publishing a quarterly newsletter.

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Beliefs About Men

  1. Boys are born naturally loving, caring and sensitive.
  2. Boys are trained to be masculine in a way that leads to domination and violence as well as disconnection and confusion.
  3. Boys have been traumatized by violence and abuse as victims, and as witnesses. This may be in our families, on the street, through the media, racism, classism, homophobia, etc.
  4. Men are both privileged and damaged by masculinity and violence.

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Beliefs About Men

  • Violence and domination are used by men to control feelings of fear and vulnerability, and to protect privileges.
  • Men are eager to reclaim our natural caring and hungry for re-connection with ourselves, our loved ones and our community.
  • Men can become role models for positive masculinity and agents of change in their families and communities.
  • As partners with people of all genders, men can play an important role in ending the cycles of violence, supporting gender equality, and creating healthy families and strong communities.

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International visitors learn about the MRC.

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All around the world�there are men �eager to support �gender equality, practice non-violence and become healthier.

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And all around the world there are women who are welcoming men �as partners in the struggle �for gender equality and non-violence.

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Educating, training and organizing

men as allies with women

for violence prevention and positive masculinity

Founded - 2004

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OUR MISSION

is to mobilize networks of men

allied with women

for violence prevention and positive masculinity

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Goals of Training for Men’s Engagment

Collective advocacy for social change

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Speak out in community

Role model for family and friends

Personal change

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Elements of an Effective Approach

to Training for Men’s Engagement

  • Engage men in the context of family and community safety, health and empowerment with women as advisors, participants and accountability partners.
  • Affirm the possibility of healthy masculinities and the importance of healthy male role models.
  • Create a welcoming environment for everyone to reflect on their experiences with masculinity.
  • Model compassionate responses to thoughts and feelings. And model curiosity and questioning about harmful attitudes and behaviors.

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Elements of an Effective Approach

to Training for Men’s Engagement

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  • Tell the story about men and masculinity from the beginning. Affirm the inherent humanity of boys and men. “Boys are born with a natural desire for connection.”
  • Offer a framework for understanding how male socialization trains boys into patterns of unhealthy and harmful masculinity.
  • Identify both the advantages and disadvantages to men of stereotypical (toxic) masculinity and the impacts of that masculinity on everyone and the world.
  • Teach men to recognize and break the silence about their own experiences with violence and abuse as victims, witnesses, perpetrators and agents of change.

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Elements of an Effective Approach

to Training for Men’s Engagement

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  • Teach and practice cross gender dialogue. Teach men to listen to women.
  • Explore new definitions of power.
  • Teach men to be proud allies with women and transgendered people.
  • Identify individual and collective actions for practicing and supporting men’s engagement.
  • Plan public events for men to demonstrate their commitment to gender equality.
  • Speak to the head, the heart and the spirit. Engage the body. Bring curiosity, gratitude and joy to the work.

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Unpacking the Man Box

  • Man pose
  • Man Box brainstorm
    • What comes to mind when you hear the words “Be a Man!”?
  • Analysis of advantages and disadvantages
    1. What happens to a man or boy who doen’t fit in the box, or steps outside the box? (disadvantages of being out of the box)
    2. What are the advantages of being in the box (or pretending to be in the box)?
    3. What are the disadvantages of being in the box
    4. What are the advantages of being out of the box

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Lead to community based initiatives:

Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA)

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MOCHA on the steps of Springfield City Hall 2010

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Other Men’s Resource Centers are formed.

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Training and coaching:

Men’s Resource Center

of South Texas

2005-2007.

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First international MRI training in Zambia - 2016

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Men learn to stand with women

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and the Zambia Men’s Network is formed.

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Chief Ugo Nnachi, a women’s activist from Nigeria,

learns about the MRI training.

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And hosts a training for her region.

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Community leaders are engaged,

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traditional rulers take a stand,

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and the Ebonyi Men’s Resource Center is formed.

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After attending the MRI training in Nigeria,

Fidele Rutayisire founds the Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (RWAMREC).

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MRI provides foundational trainings for the Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre – 2007-2010.

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RWAMREC trainers are trained to deliver the training in rural areas.

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Action plans are created for community engagement.

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Community members gather to listen

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Training participants model gender equality

in front of their community

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In 2023 Fidele invited us back to conduct another training of trainers for RWAMREC staff and partners.

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MRI creates the Male Involvement Project in Liberia for the IRC - 2006-2010.

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Engaging women’s groups

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and men’s groups

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Providing training for the Ministry of Gender and Development

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And promoting positive images for engaging men.

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Men learn to listen to women,

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and discover the power in being allies.

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Men and women action groups from 9 communities

in Liberia gather.

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And pledge their commitment to gender equality.

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A national campaign is launched.

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Over 5000 Liberians participate in campaign activities.

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Women’s groups describe program impacts.

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Liberian men are stepping out of the box

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MRI trainings are also held in Cote d’Ivoire - 2009.

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Engaging chiefs and village leaders.

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The Women’s Peacemakers Program enlists MRI to co-facilitate an international training of trainers.

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19 men from 17 countries participate – 2009-2010.

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Training for representatives from 7 countries in South Asia: IPPF, 2011

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MRI trainings in Niger and Mali - 2012 & 2013.

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UN Women develops engaging men action plans.

male peacemakers

Training to developing a national action plan for engaging men in GBV prevention in Albania - 2013.

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ToT for engaging men to prevent GBV

against migrant women and sex workers:

CARE Myanmar, 2014-2015.

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MRI and the Karuna Center create the Women and Men as Partners

in Peacebuilding Project in the Great Lakes Region in Africa

2012-2015.

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  • South Africa and Indonesia (remote) – RutgersWPF - quality review of manuals for counselors of men who commit intimate partner violence, 2011
  • USA – School for International Training – developed and taught Women and Men as Partners in Peacebuilding class, 2011-2012
  • Liberia – Concern Worldwide – program design, staff and community trainings, training of trainers, 2013
  • Lebanon (remote) – Concern Worldwide - curriculum development and weekly Skype coaching for class for Syrian refugee men, 2014

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The Global MenEngage Alliance is formed.

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2016

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www.mergeforequality.org

CHANGING THE WAY WE RAISE BOYS

by engaging early childhood educators as change agents

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JOINS WITH

2020

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RESOURCES

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RESOURCES

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thank you !