Men and boys are key to promoting gender equality. Join us in engaging Afghan men and boys as gender allies in their households and communities. With the support of WomenStrong International, this project brings together men and boys to challenge existing gender norms and plant new seeds of thought about the role of women in Afghan society. Through dialogue about fatherhood, caregiving, mental health and trauma, and domestic violence, we accompany men in becoming champions of positive change.
Despite the global women's movement, many girls and women are still unable to pursue an education, engage in meaningful employment, and make decisions about their bodies and futures. In Afghanistan, the United Nations Children's Fund estimates that 2 million girls are out of school, and 33% of women are married before their 18th birthday. For the world to achieve true gender equality, men must engage as allies in support of women's empowerment.
Men and boys can shift existing gender norms by engaging with and understanding their privilege. Through a 4-week training course, this project helps men and boys challenge patriarchal beliefs, traditional perceptions of masculinity, and the practices and structures that perpetuate inequalities between men and women. Project participants are better able to deconstruct harmful behaviors that contribute to gender inequality. In turn, these men become agents of positive change in their communities.
By transforming traditional understandings of manhood and womanhood, men and boys can create a new Afghan society in which women (and men) are free from normative gender expectations and constraints. This transformation of gender norms is key to overcoming structural impediments to gender equality like early marriage and girls' access to education. Through the engagement of men and boys as gender allies, this project will build a more equitable world for everyone.
