The South African Men as
Partners Network: Mobilizing
Men for Gender Justice
MAP Mission Statement
• The South African MAP
Network strives to
create a society in
which men and women
can enjoy equitable,
healthy, and happy
relationships that
contribute to the
development of a just
and democratic society.
MAP GOAL
• The MAP Network
works with men to
promote gender
equality, end
domestic and sexual
violence and reduce
the spread and
impact of HIV and
AIDS.
MAP Principles
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Human Rights and Social Justice Framework
Accountable to the women’s movement.
Evidence based.
Understand that contemporary gender roles
compromise both women’s and men’s health.
• Recognize that men have a real stake in changing
& can be part of the solution.
• Promote youth and PLWA leadership
MAP Overview
• The MAP Network now consists of more than
50 civil society organizations working closely
with National, Provincial and Local
Government Departments and the media in
many of South Africa’s nine provinces.
• Reach thousands of men through workshops
each year and many more with range of media.
• Ongoing quantitative and qualitative evaluation
• Moved from narrow focus on workshops to
systems approach using spectrum of change
as programming guide.
The Spectrum of Change
• Research, Monitoring & Evaluation
• Influencing Development and enforcement of
Progressive Policy
• Community Mobilization
• Strengthening Organizational Capacity
• Fostering Coalitions and Networks
• Educating Key Stakeholders
• Community Education/Media & IEC
• Strengthening Individual Knowledge and
Skills
Community Mobilization
• Attempt to promote dynamic relationships
between duty bearers, rights holders and
civil society organizations
• MAP works to strengthen the ability of
community members to assert their
constitutional and human rights and to make
demands on state, private sector & civil
society
• Work with government to build their capacity
to meet obligations.
• Work with civil society organizations to
improve their capacity to serve as catalysts
and intermediaries.
Community Mobilization Strategies:
Partnership & Integration
• Work with
established
advocacy
organizations to
integrate
emphasis on
men and gender
equality—TAC,
Trade Unions
etc.
Community Mobilization Strategies:
Government
• Work with National,
Provincial and Local
Government.
• Establishment of NGM
Working Group on Men
and Gender Equality
• Mainstreaming of men
and gender equality
work within
government.
Community Mobilization: Media &
IEC Strategies
• Challenge social
norms that
exaggerate men’s
resistance to gender
equality by offering
alternative
representations of
gender equitable men
& by challenging
fears of ostracism
and isolation.
Community Mobilization Strategies:
Community Ed Events
• Community
Education Events,
Marches and
Rallies.
• Emphasize
partnership with
media-SABC & 16
Days
Community Mobilization Strategies
Community Action Teams
• Membership recruited
at workshops,
community education
events.
• Relatively
autonomous and self
determined activities
• Currently about 10
youth CATS active in
JHB and CPT.
Community Action Teams-Activities
Community Action Teams-Activities
Community Mobilization: Shifting
the Field Internationally (emerging)
• MenEngage Initiative—EH, Promundo,
Oxfam, FVPF, Save the Children
Sweden, Sayahog, WHO.
• Advocating for scaling up of men and
gender equality work
• Supporting local and regional advocacy
• Learning exchanges
Room for Optimism
Promundo & Horizons Research in Brazil indicates:
• Young men with more equitable norms were between four and eight
times less likely to report STI symptoms at 6 & 12 months post
intervention.
• young men with more equitable gender norm scale scores were 2.4
times as likely to use condoms with a primary partner at last sex.
• MAP Research:
• 71% of past MAP workshop participants believed that
women should have the same rights as men, whereas only
25% of men in the control group felt this way.
• 82 % of the participants thought that it was not normal for
men to sometimes beat their wives, whereas only 38% of
the control group felt that way.
Thank You
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USAID/OGAC
Sida
CIDA
Ford Foundation
Hope Education Trust
UNAIDS
UNICEF
South African Office on the Status of Women
Western Cape Dept of Social Services