The Barbershop Toolbox: Changing the discourse among men and boys on gender equality
Date of Meeting: 16 March 2017
Meeting Organizer: United Arab Emirates and Norway
ISJC Staff Present: Anne Gregora, Major Mike Stannett, Benjamin Gilbert and Lt-Col. Marieke Venter
Reporter: Anne Gregora
Which SDG does this topic cover? 5, 16, 17
Type of meeting: CSW Parallel Event
Brief summary of presentation of information made
Gary Barker – moderator: http://www.un.org/en/women/endviolence/GaryBarker.shtml
Iceland Mission presenting Barbershop
This is Iceland commitment to the HeForShe movement. The Icelandic government has joined HeForShe. Tool box should be a valuable resource.
World economic forum stated that gender equality would not be reached for another 117 years –women cannot wait this long.
Men can work towards positive change in social norms and can hold other men accountable.
Jan 2015 – 500 attendees at the first Barbershop launch. First time so many men came together to have discussions about gender
Tool box and framework for men to use as a platform to learn and share for gender equality
Deputy Director UN Women and Director HeForShe – Elizabeth Nyamayaro.
To uplift one half of society (women), need to lift the whole of society.
Solidarity movement for gender equality.
Barber Shop Toolkit:
Create a space dominated by men, e.g. Barbershop/locker room to talk about the issue for men
Then take the issue out of that space – call out discrimination and be positive role models.
Iceland National Committee for UN Women
Example of Best Practice of when multiple stakeholders work together
Important for mobilising men around them.
Each tool contains:
- Goal for session
- Required materials
- Timeframe
- Guidelines for organisers
- Guidelines for facilitators
- Becoming agent of change
- Resources
Network of 700 civil society organisations coming together to transform patriarchal systems and to engage men and boys. HeForShe is giving these organisations a platform and opened doors to further build on their work.
Person is political and the political is personal. Need to make gender equality a personal issue for each person. Everyone experiences gender - start asking how each person has experienced it.
Questions:
Tool box will be translated into 6 official languages of the UN
Working in a more difficult setting:
- Tool box has not yet been trialled
- The toolkit will however be rolled out across UN women offices in the world. It will be localised through partners
How do you get men to come in the first place?
- Find men in places where they are – e.g. The sports movie where a coach used female sports people to inspire boys
- Find the community champions that are willing to take this on. There ARE men in the community that believe in equality – find them!
- Neighbourhood centres can start some dialogues in difficult situations
- This is not an easy conversation to start. Start by training yourself, or training those who are interested
- Assumption that the best can be drawn out of men through these conversations
- Find teachable moments – an issue when men might be worried – i.e. Health, expecting men.
- Humour is an effective communication tool.
- Use of resources on the website and partner organisations to HeForShe.
What was of particular significance to share with The Salvation Army globally?
- Consider joining the HeForShe movement
- Set up a photo box at IHQ or globally to build momentum and share how many men are involved and committed
- Consider how we can build the barber toolbox globally into our existing work - men's homeless shelters, work in prisons, youth groups etc.
- How can TSA utilise male officers to be champions on HeForShe