Daily Star - Project Rallies Male Support Against Domestic Violence

By Patrick Galey Daily Star staff

BEIRUT: Men must be involved in the fight to end violence against women, according to the creators of a landmark project unveiled in Beirut on Wednesday. The study “Women Facing Violence” was launched as in collaboration with Oxfam GB and Lebanese domestic violence charity KAFA in the presence of Social Affairs Minister Salim Sayegh and senior UN, Cabinet and embassy delegates. The project aims to provide a training guide on practical ways to engage male members of communities on how to abolish violence against women. It is the first of its kind in the region and Ghida Anani, KAFA program coordinator, said that getting a male perspective on women’s rights issues was particularly important for the Middle East. “Men are part of the problem, but they are also part of the solution. We are against violence, not men,” she said. “But men in the Arab world almost always dominate the public and private spheres so working with them is strategically critical. “If we want to begin making real change in ending violence against women it is simply nonsensical to leave men and boys out of the equation.” Jennifer Abrahamson, Oxfam regional media coordinator for the Middle East, explained how the project would seek to incentivize fair treatment of women for males. “If your wife is abused, she won’t be able to support the family, she won’t be able to look after your sons. There are various messages that can be adapted for different families,” she told The Daily Star. “It’s a difficult conversation to broach because of the social dynamics of the region.” Last week the Cabinet passed a law that, for the first time, would make violence against women in Lebanon illegal. The decision was welcomed by Oxfam GB’s Lebanon Country Director Magda El-Sanousi. “This new law shows that change is possible, and the fact that [Sayegh] is hosting today’s event shows the investment men have begun making to end violence against women,” she said. The project, which was complied through consultations with 75 regional NGOs, has been tested during a pilot scheme in the Bekaa Valley, with encouraging results, according to Oxfam Lebanon Program Manager Roula Abi Saad. “We are trying this new approach to see how we can evolve,” she said. “When we started the project some women were blocking this issue because they were afraid that the interest might shift to men. We need the woman to have a voice.“Men are mainly the key decision-makers in the region and we believe they are the solution to this issue. If we don’t approach them, we won’t be able to get tangible results,” she added. Anani said that the fight against domestic violence was complimentary to the fight against poverty. “Poverty increases violence, and in turn, violence increases poverty,” she said. “While it is important that women learn about their own rights and how to receive help if they are abused, it is at least equally important that the mindset that allows for men to commit acts of violence begins to change.”