A new Lebanon based human rights and equality initiative is now partnering with men to reach the goal as advocates for equality of the sexes in the Middle East region and beyond. To do this ABAAD – Resource Center for Gender Equality in Beirut – has partnered with the IMC – International Medical Corps – to bring a new and innovative approach to advocacy by bringing men into the mix with programs, including TV commercials, aimed to help men deal with anger management as part of their commitment to improving violence in society.

The Women News Network interviewed ABAAD director Ghida Anani, along with Anthony Keedi, Director of ABAAD’s new ‘Men Center’ which is located in Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut. Find the very interesting interview via: http://womennewsnetwork.net/2012/08/10/lebanese-advocates-partner-with-men/

More below on the Men Saying No to Violence Against Women Campaign by ABAAD “Be a Man. Real Men Raise their Voice…Against Violence” in Lebanon

With this new TV commercial, “Louder….”, ABAAD continues their positive message for the partnership of women and men for Gender Equality. Building off of the success of the “With all my force against violence” national campaign, this TV Commercial asks men and women to “Raise their voice louder” in their declarations for Gender Equality.

This TV commercial stresses that the message of Engaging Men in ending Violence Against Women (VAW) has to be a positive one. Until now in initiatives for women’s human rights in the Middle East, men are only depicted as the perpetrators of Domestic Violence (DV). Although this may be the closest picture to the reality of DV in the Middle East, relaying this message has not only become a cliché, but can actually increase male resistance and defensiveness to the issue. Furthermore, messages where men are only perpetrators of DV run the very dangerous risk of creating such a close association between men and DV, that the terms become synonymous with one another.

Hence, ABAAD-Resource Center for Gender Equality, with its national and international partners, and with the financial support of Urgent Action Fund, continues the revolutionary journey towards using positive psychology to foster male allies in the world of women’s human rights. This TV commercial, like its predecessor, does not focus on blaming the males in our society who are the perpetrators of DV. Rather, this TV commercial praises the men in our society who are against the gender biases and who are active in the fight to end VAW. This TV commercial supports men who, like their female counterparts, refuse to remain silent about the issue of VAW and gender inequalities in our countries.

This TV commercial continues what has come to be known in the field of study of masculinities and gender as ‘positive masculinity’. ABAAD has dedicated itself to this positive approach of inspiring change. This latest installment joins the “With all my force against violence”, “Beating is Shameful”, and the “we are here to listen” campaigns in celebrating the important influence  that cultured, dedicated, and socially conscious men can have in ending VAW. With this respect, belief, optimism, and hope we plan on cultivating a culture of men who believe in Gender Equality, and will form a partnership with women in our society to work side by side to end VAW in the Middle East.

You can watch the TV Spot on the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhF33MtM-os&list=PL68ECF50CE50746B8&index=1&feature=plpp_video

ABAAD-Resource Center for Gender Equality

P.O. Box: 50-048 Beirut-Lebanon

Mob (office): +961 (70) 28 38 20

Men Center:  +961 (71) 28 38 20

Tel/fax: +961 (1) 28 38 20; +961 (1) 28 38 21

Email: abaad@abaadmena.org

Web: www.abaadmena.org 

• Tags:
• engaging men
• GBV prevention
• Gender Equality