Dear End-Violence Members, During the past two weeks Working Group members examined the theme of changing male behaviour as a strategy for ending violence against women. We shared ideas and lessons learned regarding a range of approaches, including counselling programmes for batterers, multi-agency approaches to combat violence, the cost of violence, training programmes for male police officers. Next week we will post a summary of the very interesting ideas and innovative approaches that you shared.
This week we would like to further examine a key issue you have raised regarding changing male behavior: the importance of considering the WIDER SOCIAL CONTEXT. This issue has many aspects: 1. Change social values - It is difficult to change male views and behavior when social values support male power over women and condone -- even glorify -- violence generally. For example, definitions of "masculinity" must change. The wider culture of violence must change. As one member argued, "What needs "counseling" are not individual men, but the entire culture." 2. Change social power structures -- You have raised two concerns: 1) Women need to have more power; 2) we need to change attitudes among men in influential positions, including law enforcement officers, judges, health professionals. 3. Assess counselling for men - There needs to be a systematic evaluation of counselling programmes for men to identify guidelines for good practices that achieve change. These may include counselling for non-perpetrators as well as perpetrators. 4. Establish disincentives - Changing male behavior requires powerful disincentives for violence, e.g., law enforcement and social pressure. A member described a successful approach in which the police improve law enforcement, yet also try to influence men's behavior through other means. For example, the police chief explains to a perpetrator that domestic violence is a crime, and releases a first-time perpetrator if he agrees not to repeat the offense. KEY QUESTIONS 1. What concrete strategies can we use to change social values and power structures in order to end violence against women? What specific steps must be taken by women? Men? Government? International organisations? 2. Are there examples of successful strategies to change social values/power that have reduced violence against women? 3. What specific steps are needed to change definitions of "masculinity" that contribute to violent behavior? What should be done by women? Men? Government? International organisations? 4. What specific factors are key to successful counselling programmes? How should we measure "success"? Should there be counselling for non-perpetrators as well as perpetrators? 5. What specific steps should we take to tie counselling programmes for men to larger changes in social conditions, attitudes, institutions? 6. Staying with this week's topic of changing men's behavior -- Are there counselling programmes women need that will help change male behavior? Are there specific programmes that have been successful? 7. Are there successful programmes to change attitudes among male professionals --e.g., those in the legal, political and health systems? What is key to the success of those programmes? 8. Does support for programmes to change male behavior reduce resources for services to women? How important is this problem? What solutions do you recommend? We look forward to hearing from all Working Group members regarding your own experience, and what works, what doesn't, and why. Warm thanks and regards, End-Violence Moderators ***End-violence is sponsored by UNIFEM and receives generous support from ICAP*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe end-violence OR type: unsubscribe end-violence Archives of previous End-violence messages can be found at: http://www.edc.org/GLG/end-violence/hypermail/
