SVRI Ubuntu Symposium Roundtable, 12 January 2021
This roundtable lead by the SVRI was part of the MenEngage Ubuntu Symposium - a global program of events exploring a range of topics on masculinities, gender equality, and a range of critical social justice issues.
Using the strategy of engaging men and boys as allies in the struggle for gender equality cannot be done in a vacuum or as a standalone silver bullet. Feminist approaches and ethical considerations should guide how we research and implement violence against women and girls (VAWG) prevention and response programmes. A key tenant of feminist research is the commitment to transform inequitable gender power dynamics and improving the lives of women and girls. The WHO highlights that researchers and donors involved in VAWG research have an ethical obligation to help ensure that their findings are properly interpreted and used to advance policy and intervention development.
As the need to translate knowledge into action is more relevant than ever and more programmes across the world try to end VAWG, a key question researchers, programmers and donors should be asking is: Did our programme and research funding make a difference? Did our funding and interventions ask women what has been the impact of programmes engaging men and boys? Furthermore, we need to ask: How much progress have we made to tip the balance of expertise in research and programming on VAWG, particularly in low- and middle-income countries?
Guest speakers
Roundtable agenda and presentations
Roundtable recording
For more information, contact us at svri@svri.org.
To find out more about the Ubuntu Symposium and to register for upcoming sessions in 2021, visit their website here.