On Monday, March 28th, GEIA hosted guest speakers Gary Barker, CEO and Tim Shand, VP of Promundo. The event was moderated by GEIA Director Dr. Shirley Graham.
Eleven out of the sixty attendees were men (not including the two male speakers). GEIA is actively seeking to encourage more men to attend our events, and while eleven men may seem like a low number, we are happy to celebrate this small progress!
During the lecture, Gary and Tim discussed Promundo’s current projects and initiatives aimed at engaging men in gender equality, including their work with MenCare and MenEngage. They also noted the success of Promundo’s fatherhood training in numerous countries. For example, fatherhood training with 1,700 fathers and their partners in Rwanda led to nearly a 50% reduction in Violence Against Women, and a 30% reduction in Violence Against Children assessed in RCT.
Moreover, their presentation highlighted key findings from Promundo’s “Man Box” study regarding ideals of masculinity among men in the U.S., UK, and Mexico, and how the “Man Box” can be dangerous for men’s health.
The data below demonstrates how toxic masculinities drive violence, and how these harmful male attitudes can be associated with suicidal ideation, binge drinking, verbal bullying, and more. This further explains why promoting healthy masculinities, and engaging men in gender equality initiatives is critically important for the overall health, happiness, and well-being of both men and women worldwide.
Learn more about Promundo and its global research and projects.
