Ending violence against women (VAW) requires the collaboration of all community members. There is a growing awareness that men, in partnership with women, can play a significant role in ending violence against women. This training resource was developed for use in Arab countries in order to teach the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to promote gender equality and to prevent violence against women through the effective engagement of men. The manual was created over a series of local and regional workshops as well as a literature review.
It explores the concepts surrounding VAW, what factors are involved, and the consequences of VAW. It presents case studies, tips, and lessons learned, drawn from different experiences and from programmes that work with men as partners in VAW prevention. The manual takes into account the cultural, religious, social and other specificities of Arab countries.
The primary audience for this document will be community workers and practitioners working in the Middle East and Northern Africa Region who are involved in working to prevent violence against women, particularly through the engagement of men. It can be used as a guide for facilitators in providing training on VAW and engaging men in VAW prevention, and may provide useful activities and handouts needed to implement orientation and awareness-raising sessions on specific topics related to VAW. The activities described in the manual aim to create ways to openly discuss VAW-related topics in a group setting.
The manual includes 10 units, with relevant discussions, activities and handouts for each:
- Unit 1: Why involve men in the prevention of violence against women?
- Unit 2: The prevention of violence against women: keywords and concepts
- Unit 3: Understanding violence against women
- Unit 4: Sex, gender, and masculinities
- Unit 5: Men, masculinity, and violence
- Unit 6: Deciphering violence
- Unit 7: What men can do (I)
- Unit 8: What men can do (II)
- Unit 9: What men can do (III)
- Unit 10: Building partnerships
