Guide to Promoting Gender Equality: The Role of Men, Tesis de Biología Humana

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MEN,

EQUALITY

AND NEW

MASCULINITIES

G U I D E

gizon duz Collaborator:

TITLE: Men, Equality and New Masculinities EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: EMAKUNDE-Basque Women’s Institute Manuel Iradier, 3601005 Vitoria-Gasteiz TEXTS: Ander Bergara, Josetxu Riviere, Ritxar Bacete DATE: 2010 DESCRIPTORS: Men, Equality, New Masculinities, Guides ILLUSTRATION: Ibon Garagarza

• PRESENTATION INDEX
• 1 EQUALITY OF MEN AND WOMEN
• 2 REASONS FOR THE CHANGE IN MEN TOWARDS EQUALITY
• 3 SOCIALISATION AND MASCULINITY
• 4 HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY
  • 4 1 Men and Power
  • 4 2 Men and Emotions
  • 4 3 Masculinity and the Culture of Risk Taking
• 5 THE PROBLEMS OF GENDER FOR MEN
• 6 MALE VIOLENCE
  • 6 1 Violence against women
  • 6 2 Some myths about violence against women
  • 6 3 Micro machismos
  • 6 4 The ideal of romantic love and partner relations
• 7 MEN FOR EQUALITY
  • 7 1 Some data related to changes at the symbolic level
  • 7 2 Some data relating to real change
  • 7 3 So, what’s happening to equality?
• 8 CHANGE IN MEN
  • 8 1 Work groups for the liberation of men
  • 8 2 Men for equality
• 9 SOME IDEAS FOR CHANGE IN MEN
• REFERENCES

RESENTATION

The social and personal benefits which equality affords has lead to the fact that an in- creasing number of men, with an ever increasing degree of influence have created new egal- itarian models relating to different forms of masculine identity These latter are what are known today as new masculinities These new masculinities bring many positive conse- quences to bear on men in the area of personal development and in their private lives Fur- thermore, they contribute greatly to the construction of a more egalitarian society and the positive advancement of equality between women and men Regarding this work many Basque men are participating in the creation and deepening awareness of egalitarian models of masculinity They take part in discussion groups, per- sonal growth and training or have joined associations of Men for Equality with the objective of implicating themselves socially and politically in fostering equality between women and men in our society So, with this guide we aim to bring these and other reflections to all men with the inten- tion that they should become aware of the negative consequences of traditional masculini- ties in their own lives, in the lives of women and in society at large and to promote a change in attitudes and behaviours of men that will lead to a greater commitment to equality The challenge for this century must therefore be the construction of a new social model that is more democratic, fairer and egalitarian To this end it is imperative that men are ever more willing to question the traditional model of masculinity and to engage actively along- side women in the quest for a world that is better for all and facilitates integrated human development for both men and women María Silvestre Cabrera Director of Emakunde The Basque Women’s Institute

1. QUALITY OF WOMEN AND MEN

This material is, therefore, intended to encourage men to become aware and reflect on the injustices that the current patriarchal system which places women in a structural position of subordination to men generates, and about the adverse impact of these stereotypes and gender roles on which that system rests One of the greatest challenges facing us in this century must be the construction of a new, more democratic, just and equitable social model To this end it is essential that men should be increasingly willing to challenge the traditional model of masculinity, to renounce the privileges which the patriarchal system affords them, to relieve themselves from the burden of a misunderstood masculinity, and commit alongside women, to the active pursuit of a better world for everyone thus increasing opportunities for human development for both women and men Equality between women and men is rooted in our society as a universal legal, political and ethical principle, which is present in interpersonal relationships, and is also recognized in various international documents on human rights In this vein, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, adopted by the UN General As- sembly in 1979, proclaims the principle of equality of women and men Through the Treaty of Amsterdam, the equality of women and men is formally enshrined as a fundamental prin- ciple of the European Union For its part, the Spanish Constitution and the Statute of Au- tonomy of the Basque Autonomous Community (The BAC) proclaim the right to equality and freedom from gender discrimination and requires public authorities to promote conditions and remove obstacles to equality between people is real and effective, especially since legal equality is not necessarily bourn out in reality In The BAC, Act 4 / 2005 of 18 February for the Equality of Women and Men, has as its ultimate goal ‘the advancement towards an egalitarian society in which all people are free and autonomous, both in public and private, to develop their personal abilities and make decisions without the constraints of traditional roles and stereotypes based on gender, and which takes into account, and values equally the distinctive behaviours, aspirations and needs of women and men ’ The traditional roles played by men and women in our society are experiencing a signifi- cant but uneven transformation The change is particularly visible and significant in the case of women Their increased participation in the labour market, their access to all education at all levels, greater presence in the training and culture and to a lesser extent, in the areas of power and decision making, are creating social changes which favour the advancement of our society towards equality between women and men These changes would have been impossible without the fundamental contribution of feminist movements and without the effort of all those women who have worked anonymously for the rights of all women

However, data regarding the labour market, social and political participation, violence against women, sharing of domestic work and the feminization of poverty continue to reflect an unequal society and demonstrate the existence of a hierarchy in relationships and social ranking of men and women This situation stems from the stereotyping and cultural patterns of conduct based on gender which assigns women responsibility for the domestic sphere while men inhabit the public domain Moreover, there is increasing consensus relating to the acceptance of women’s rights to equality It also recognizes the need and desirability that men should participate more and that they be jointly responsible as a matter of social justice That they assume the responsi- bilities associated with it to share necessary household chores, responsibility in reproduc- tion and care giving, and the adoption of a more egalitarian stance free from sexism So, while changes in the attitude of women and their incorporation into the workplace, has made a fundamental contribution to human development in our society, changes in the attitudes of men and their inclusion in the practice of and struggle for equality are pending The posi- tive evolution of our democracy largely depends on this This new model of coexistence not only benefits women but also men and society as a whole While it is true that the current patriarchal social system grants men as a group cer- tain privileges for example; they enjoy higher levels of income and greater power and more authority in the public sphere At the same time they also benefit from the fact that it is largely women who shoulder the responsibility for domestic and care work It is no less true, however, that this system, based on the rigid differentiation of roles and gender expecta- tions, bears its costs on men too In general they have a lower life expectancy, are more prone to drug addiction, traffic accidents, more serious industrial accidents, being impris- oned or becoming the victims of violent death In short, we live in a society that, in addition to discriminating against women, creates dissatisfaction in both men and women Therefore, the challenge facing us in this century must be the construction of a new more democratic, just and egalitarian social model It is essential that there be ever more men willing to challenge the traditional model of masculin- ity, to waive the privileges that the patriarchal system gives them, liberate themselves from the burden of a traditional or hegemonic masculinity, and to actively engage, alongside women, in achieving a new society of free people For it is equality insofar as it can broaden our life’s horizon which makes us into better people and will therefore make real men out of our men folk

The lack of awareness, involvement, and sometimes the evasion and plain refusal on the part of men to consider issues of equality has come to impede both social and personal progress of women, men and society as a whole For public policies of equality it represents a societal limitation that will be difficult to overcome There are political, ideological and ethical reasons why society should expect, demand and encourage that many more men should foster attitudes, perceptions and practices of equality These reasons have to do with the fact that equality is a value of coexistence and indeed, a human right Changes in men towards equality are of direct benefit to the women closest to them For example, switching from a situation of unequal sharing of the burden of care to one of equal involvement may allow them more time and opportunities to progress personally and pro- fessionally At the same time equality has direct benefits for men too To become a man conscious of issues relating to equality signifies the shouldering of responsibilities regarding not only the care of others but also the care of oneself with concomitant advances in self-esteem, greater potential for personal growth, better relationships with women and fellow men, among many other advantages There are also practical reasons and direct benefits of the change in men towards a more egalitarian outlook which are enjoyed by the whole of society In fact, countries with a higher index of human development, which is to say, with greater respect for freedom and develop- ment of the capacities of individuals are by nature, more egalitarian But it is very likely too that countries with greater equality or greater achievements on equality of men and women develop more rapidly and increases the quality of life of their citizens This is due to the fact that equality is a powerful tool against welfare dependency and the economic burden im- posed by cultural exclusion and marginalization

3. OCIALISATION AND MASCULINITY