On 28 November 2023, WLI hosted a special Learning & Networking event exploring how men and women in the Pacific can work together to shift social norms around gender and women’s leadership to realise more equal and inclusive societies.
Bringing together Pacific gender activists, male allies and WLI alumni for an expert panel discussion and interactive Q&A, the online event built on research undertaken by WLI on effective approaches to engaging men in support of women’s leadership in the Pacific.
The research found that efforts to promote gender equality and empower women need to engage more intentionally with men to ensure they are part of the solution, among other findings.
The event panellists included:
- Facilitator Dr Mercy Masta, WLI GEDSI and Safeguards Specialist,
- Sharon Bhagwan Rolls, Women, Peace and Security activist and community media leader,
- Melkie Anton, Positive Advantage Consultancy Director, and
- Sophie Sindra Hepota, WLI Alumni Representative and Water PNG Health, Safety and Security Team Leader.
Reflecting on their own experiences, panellists shared insights about what works to engage men in more critical discussions about gender, challenges of engaging men in different Pacific contexts and how Pacific values can be harnessed in support of gender equality.
They key insights shared by panellists and attendees are featured below and informed by the research and their experiences in the Pacific women’s and Christian feminist movements and in their professional spheres.
Challenges
At an individual level, panellists reflected that men in the Pacific may be resistant to efforts to engage them in support of women’s leadership because:
- They feel it is “not their role” or responsibility to support women in leadership or equality.
- They feel women’s leadership is not locally-led and is instead part of a foreign agenda that is “pushed down” and not driven by the wants of Pacific women.
- They are protective of leadership structures and cultural norms that grant men decision-making spaces and think women’s leadership threatens not only those spaces, but their “masculinity” and “identity” in their culture and community.
- They think women are not ready to occupy leadership roles and engage with male leaders (including Chiefs in community). This is also because they anticipate a lack of respect given to them by men they encounter.
At a program-level:
- Gender equality commitments, policies and programs that require continuity may be at the mercy of election cycles and need a “workaround” solution.
- Intersectionality and the nature of the inequalities that men and women experience (including physical ability, economic access, and forms of prejudice) are often not considered when devising approaches, policies and strategies to engage populations in gender equality building work.
Opportunities
Harnessing positive culture to promote gender equality
- Organisations can establish dedicated ‘gender focal points’ tasked with working alongside male leaders and allies to talk about the transformation that needs to happen.
- When engaging faith-based organisations (or other customary institutions) to help shift social norms, it is useful to platform and highlight the role of women leaders across spheres in society and how their goals (e.g., in the church or in environmental justice) connect to the values and beliefs of the church community. Partners of priests can also be very influential.
- Programs that focus on intergenerational partnerships and exchanges (between Chiefs, older women and younger women who will be stepping into their roles) can help to prepare the next generation while also ensuring a wider dissemination of positive messaging.
- Communicating transformative action needs to happen in ways that support cultural and treaty obligations, supports gender policies and translates to inclusive on-the-ground development plans.
- Existing movements, structures and systems can be harnessed to reach communities with gender equality messages and concepts. This can include through education, employment, sport and other settings, and movements including environmental security or Christian feminism.
- Local leadership/governance, civil society and faith-based institutions will benefit from a focus on applying commitments to gender equality that extend to their day-to-day partnerships and processes.
Effective communication: concepts and language
- Regardless of the setting or location, when engaging men (and women) in the Pacific it is vital to communicate though concepts and language that already resonate. For example, by replacing “equality” with “working together”.
- Narratives need to consider and articulate the idea that men and women are both “part of the problem” before they can start to find solutions together. Failing to do so may lead to alienation of men or reduced engagement.
- Because resonating messages and concepts may be very different in rural as opposed to urban settings (or other geographical, social, religious or cultural contexts), it’s important to keep checking in/testing your narratives with the communities you’re engaging with – what is empowering to one community may not be for another.
- At the community level, establishing relationships with the people being engaged is needed before effective communication and deep understanding can take place.
Holding men to account for gender-based violence
- Accountability to women needs to be guided by the principles that inform the practice and long-term plan to end violence against women, including through men’s participation in training to understand different forms of violence against women that men perpetrate, and to be called out (by other men) when they may be perpetuating harmful behaviours or attitudes.
- Existing cultural practices and systems built on respect, peace and unity that may already be in place, including marriage, community partnerships and the “house boy/man system”, can be harnessed to hold men to account.
Considerations
- Genuine engagement: In any efforts to build support from men, purpose needs to be clearly articulated and engagement needs to be genuine so men do not feel they are being “used” and then discarded once women’s and programs’ needs have been met.
- Acknowledging identity: When engaging men, it is important to acknowledge and respect their cultural contexts and standings (including in their villages, clans and so on) before engagement can happen.
- Safe spaces for men and women: While the research highlighted men need safe spaces for critical reflection on the power, privilege and gender-norms they experience, women need both access to women-only spaces and the ability to move into spaces with male allies to build influence in the Pacific.
- Diversity: Strategies to engage men and women must not be limited to heteronormative or single-generational approaches or concepts. Instead, they must consider the diversity women (and men) and their culture, age, experience and identity.
- Finding commonalities across diverse spectrums: More and continued support and inclusion of the LGBTIQ+ and other communities can be cultivated by looking at commonalities between all people (not just binary men and women).
- Communicating with purpose: Have a clear goal about your engagement with men about what kind of outcome we want to achieve in the process.
More information
Download the Research Paper that informed this event or listen to the recording.
