Government Prevents Boys and Men from Gender Based Violence
BY BUT H REAKSMEY KONGKEA
The East and Southeast Asia Regional Consultation on Working with Boys and Men for Gender-Based Violence Prevention have conducted a three day seminar from the 28th to the 30th of September in Phnom Penh. The regional gender-based-violence was organized by the Gender and Development for Cambodia (GAD), Partners for Prevention and MenEngage to share promising practices and lesson learn on the engagement in gender equality and gender-based-violence prevention in the region.
James Lang, Program Coordinator of the Partners for Prevention, said that globally as many as one in every three women is beaten, coerced into sex or bused in some way during their lifetimes. Most often, violence and abuse is perpetrated by a spouse of a male family member.
Lang continued to say that gender-based-violence remains one of the most pervasive yet least recognized human-rights abuses in the world. He continued to say that the gender-based violence is present across all cultures and socio economic divides. It exists in the private and public spheres, and occurs in times of peace and conflict.
“We have seen that every country in the world, especially Southeast Asia still has a high level of domestic violence, children and men engaged, so we are now trying to find a new way to stop violence,” he said. “One of the new way is working to prevent the violence before starting and changing the mindset of young children, boys and men to end the violence against women in helping to give idea as using the violence and the connection with the men to find a way to be a man in a peaceful and respectful manner,” James Lang stated.
Chhay Kim Sore, Community Outreach Program Manager of the Gender and Development for Cambodia, said that it marked the first time as the GAD in collaboration with Partners for Prevention and Men Engage have organized this regional consultation in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The main purpose of the regional consultation is to explore the concepts of masculinities, gender relations, and gender-based-violence prevention and how they are connected. Another objective of the meeting is to share promising practices and lesson learn on the engagement of boys and men in gender equity and gender-based-violence prevention; and explore next steps for collaboration across the region to engage boys and men in work toward gender equality and gender-based-violence prevention in region.
“The consultation has provided a space for learning about key issues related to working with boys and men for gender equality and Gender-based-violence prevention in region. This will include reflection on causes of gender-based-violence, and how a deeper analysis of masculinities and gender relations can enhance politics and practices for gender-based-violence prevention,” he said.
Kim Sore said that promising practices and intervention have also shared from the region and linked with learning sessions. Thematic lessons included the themes of research and monitoring and evaluation, communications and campaigning, advocacy and prevention policy, and working with youth, among others.
The participants also mapped the status of capacities, intervention, resources and policies related to the gender-based-violence prevention in the region to understand where there are strengths and gaps with this work, he said, adding that the consultation also concluded with discussions around the potential next steps for working together to enhance gender equality and gender-based-violence prevention work at the regional and national levels.
About 80 participants from 12 countries in East and Southeast Asia as well as some members of the Cambodia Men’s network and Cambodian government’s officers have also attended the meeting in Phnom Penh.
The East and Southeast Asia Regional Consultation on Working with Boys and Men for Gender-Based Violence Prevention have conducted a three day seminar from the 28th to the 30th of September in Phnom Penh. The regional gender-based-violence was organized by the Gender and Development for Cambodia (GAD), Partners for Prevention and MenEngage to share promising practices and lesson learn on the engagement in gender equality and gender-based-violence prevention in the region.
James Lang, Program Coordinator of the Partners for Prevention, said that globally as many as one in every three women is beaten, coerced into sex or bused in some way during their lifetimes. Most often, violence and abuse is perpetrated by a spouse of a male family member.
Lang continued to say that gender-based-violence remains one of the most pervasive yet least recognized human-rights abuses in the world. He continued to say that the gender-based violence is present across all cultures and socio economic divides. It exists in the private and public spheres, and occurs in times of peace and conflict.
“We have seen that every country in the world, especially Southeast Asia still has a high level of domestic violence, children and men engaged, so we are now trying to find a new way to stop violence,” he said. “One of the new way is working to prevent the violence before starting and changing the mindset of young children, boys and men to end the violence against women in helping to give idea as using the violence and the connection with the men to find a way to be a man in a peaceful and respectful manner,” James Lang stated.
Chhay Kim Sore, Community Outreach Program Manager of the Gender and Development for Cambodia, said that it marked the first time as the GAD in collaboration with Partners for Prevention and Men Engage have organized this regional consultation in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The main purpose of the regional consultation is to explore the concepts of masculinities, gender relations, and gender-based-violence prevention and how they are connected. Another objective of the meeting is to share promising practices and lesson learn on the engagement of boys and men in gender equity and gender-based-violence prevention; and explore next steps for collaboration across the region to engage boys and men in work toward gender equality and gender-based-violence prevention in region.
“The consultation has provided a space for learning about key issues related to working with boys and men for gender equality and Gender-based-violence prevention in region. This will include reflection on causes of gender-based-violence, and how a deeper analysis of masculinities and gender relations can enhance politics and practices for gender-based-violence prevention,” he said.
Kim Sore said that promising practices and intervention have also shared from the region and linked with learning sessions. Thematic lessons included the themes of research and monitoring and evaluation, communications and campaigning, advocacy and prevention policy, and working with youth, among others.
The participants also mapped the status of capacities, intervention, resources and policies related to the gender-based-violence prevention in the region to understand where there are strengths and gaps with this work, he said, adding that the consultation also concluded with discussions around the potential next steps for working together to enhance gender equality and gender-based-violence prevention work at the regional and national levels.
About 80 participants from 12 countries in East and Southeast Asia as well as some members of the Cambodia Men’s network and Cambodian government’s officers have also attended the meeting in Phnom Penh.
Comments