Are men the problem or construction of dominant masculinities? Musings at the time of the international symposium on MenEngage

Author: Ranjani K. Murthy, November 14 2014 - As I write this blog, the international symposium of MenEngage "Engaging with men and masculinities for development, gender equality and social justice in a globalizing world" is taking place in New Delhi, India (November 10th to 14th, 2014).

The blog on this symposium mentions that it "will bring together researchers and practitioners, advocates and activists, government representatives and the donor community to share experiences, evidence and insights and seek direction on how men and boys can creatively contribute to gender equality, the new development paradigm beyond the MDG [Millennium Development Goal] framework and towards a broader view of social justice."

Yes, men and boys can definitely contribute to gender and social equality by challenging dominant notions of masculinities. Yet women and girls are equally steeped in patriarchal/hierarchical attitudes and norms and they also need to come out of the same.

Said a young girl studying 10th class in Chennai slums, India, to me: "I want gold from my parents when I get married. All girls are getting the same. They have time to save for their old age."

In another instance, a management graduate from an affluent family in her late twenties in Hyderabad told me: "My unemployed cousin Mahesh should find a job, he is a man and has to run a family and look after his parents. It is all right if I do not work. I am a woman and have to look after my baby."

In yet another situation, a Caste Hindu woman was chastising her son in Madhya Pradesh, India: "You want to marry a Dalit girl. We will disinherit you.'

Today I received a post on Facebook: "Destroy the idea that men should respect women because we are daughters mothers and sisters. Reinforce the idea that men should respect women because we are people." Yes, it is true that men should treat women as people; equally' women should treat their daughters, sons and others as people. Both should break hierarchical norms of class, caste, race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.

While NGO [non-governmental organisation] and UN [United Nations] programmes are emerging on working with women and men, in many countries there are no national level government programmes working with men and boys on gender and social equity. Similarly, while there are programmes on girls' and women’s empowerment, they address women as passive victims and, recently, as agents. There are no programmes which address women and girls in their role as perpetrators (in some situations). Mothers play as important a role as fathers in restrictions on adolescent girls’ mobility, playtime, dress, or whom they talk with. Few countries have a gender equality (and non-stereotype) law under which men and women in family, community, markets and state can be brought to book.

To sum, up the norm of dominant masculinity is equally upheld by men/boys and women/girls. It is time for every country to have a legislation on gender equality and have programmes with both men/boys and women/girls to combat dominant masculinities, patriarchy and other hierarchies.

Ranjani.K.Murthy, 2014