King’s story highlights how patriarchal norms are one of the root causes of gender inequalities. Inviting change from within is critical to questioning patriarchal norms. This story gives an insight into the mechanism of mindset change. The patriarchal system that violates women’s rights can result in toxic masculinity and a culture of machismo that incites gender-based violence. In King’s story, making harmful patriarchal norms visible is a crucial step towards understanding and tackling the root causes of gender-based violence. Women’s empowerment requires men to be on board: this is a point that all partners in the Women2030 program stressed. King’s story shows the way men can support women’s empowerment. The story points to a few practical reasons that led King to begin acting differently: he learns about national legislation on gender-based violence and how laws are enforced to protect women; he reflects that supporting women’s education would have benefited his own family; plus, he saw the possibility for his wife to support their family economically with her business. These moments can be a starting point to embark on a much deeper journey, allowing men to realize that patriarchal norms reinforcing gender inequality are detrimental for society at large. Men are also affected by unjust gender norms and can become allies with women. In this story, King recalls the pain he felt as a child witnessing his mother being abused by his father. For King, taking action and doing his part in the women’s movement is personal and intimate. It also represents his own healing, which can open opportunities to support others in their journey.
AREAS Of IMPACT:
Mindset changed.
CO-
LLEC TIVE
• During the two-day workshop that closed this participatory storytelling evaluation, participants explored their main learnings and takeaways through drawings and creative writing. We collected some creations in the section below.
CREATIONS
How do the men in your family and your close circles of friends treat women? What, if anything, makes you uncomfortable about it?
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