The Other Side of the Equation: 

Gender Issues for Men in the Europe and Eurasia Region

December 15, 2011

by Susan D. Somach

ssomach@gmail.com

Outline• Background, Methodology,

Terminology• Regional Trends on Male Role

and Gender Expectations• Threats to Masculinity and

Male Role• Major Gender Issues Facing

Men in the Region

Regional Trends on Male Role and Gender Expectations

• Gender equality and the male roleMale as providerMale as leader in private and

publicMale as protectorMale as procreatorMale as doer of dirty and

dangerous work

• Geographic/Ethnic differences

Threats (real and perceived) to Masculinity & Male Role

• Loss of traditional functions• Changing labor market• Adapting to new labor

market demands• Time on their hands• Loss of status• Changing view of marriage

and father role• War and conflict

Male Response and Impact on Women

• Stress, depression, and violence• Substance abuse• Migration for work• Emergence of hyper-masculinity

and violence in times of conflict and its aftermath

• Retreat into traditionalism of national identity and gender roles

Major Gender Issues Facing Men in the Region

• Health Issues• Violence• Military service and ex-combatant status• Unemployment and concurrent lack of breadwinner

status

• Migration and trafficking in persons

• Trends in education and training

Health Issues• Life expectancy statistics • Substance abuse – alcohol, tobacco, drugs• Depression and other psychological problems• Reproductive health and patterns of accessing health care• Unsafe working conditions• Unintentional Injuries (Youth Statistics)

Life Expectancy at Birth (2008)

Healthy Life Expectancy (HALE) at birth (2007)

Men and Drinking

Alcohol Use Disorders (12-month prevalence for 15+ yrs, 2004)

Current Tobacco Use Adults over 15 years old

Current Tobacco Use Adolescents (13-15 years)

Boys Don’t Cry

Health Issues (continued)

• Reproductive health and patterns of accessing health care– Need for andrologists– Confidentiality

• Unsafe working conditions– “men only” job categories – Toxic chemicals

Youth Mortality Due to Unintentional Injuries (15-

19 Years Old)Comparison of European LMIC (Low and Middle Income Countries)* and HIC (High Income Countries)** Rate per 100,000 population (2004)

  LMIC HIC

Category Male

Female

Both M:F

Male

Female Both M:F

All unintentional injuries 48.5 16.3 32.7 2.98 28.5 8.6 18.8 3.31

Road traffic injuries 22.6 8.9 15.8 2.54 22.3 6.8 14.8 3.28

Drowning 3.4 0.8 2.1 4.25 1.1 0.2 0.7 5.50

Fire-related burns 0.5 0.4 0.4 1.25 0.2 0.1 0.2 2.00

Falls 1.2 0.4 0.8 3.00 0.8 0.2 0.5 4.00

Poisoning 3.6 1.9 2.8 1.89 0.9 0.4 0.6 2.25Other unintentional injuries 17.3 4 10.8 4.33 3.2 0.9 2.1 3.56

Violence

• Statistics on Intentional Injuries• Gender-Based Sexual Violence

Mortality Due to Intentional InjuriesRate per 100,000 population (2004)(Age-Standardized Disability-adjusted Life Year (DALY))

Mortality Due to Self-Inflicted Injuries Rate per 100,000 population (2004)(Age-Standardized Disability-adjusted Life Year (DALY))

Mortality Due to Violence Rate per 100,000 population (2004)(Age-Standardized Disability-adjusted Life Year (DALY))

Gender-based Sexual Violence

• Under-reported and poorly understood• Epidemic of sexual violence against men in 25

conflicts around the world• For boys in streets, schools and youth detention

centers; and for both men and boys in IDP and refugee centers

• Barriers to identification as a crime, and to meeting physical and psychological rehabilitation needs

Military Service and Ex-Combatant Status

• Impact of Conflicts and Wars on Men• Ex-Combatant Status• Military Service

Impact of Conflicts and Wars on Men

• Forced conscription and forced return• “Preemptive” execution• Prison camps and torture• “Open secret” of sexual assault on men• Human rights abuses of men minimized

– Gender bias of human rights protection gatekeepers

– Viewed as “natural” victims of conflict– Invisible in media discourse– Early warning of worse yet to come

Ex-Combatant Status

• Many conflicts in the region: – Chechnya-Ingushetia-Dagestan

region of Russia; Georgia-Abkhazia-South Ossetia region; Nagorno-Karabakh region (Armenia and Azerbaijan); Transnistria region of Moldova; Former Yugoslavia

• Physical and psychological impact of male survivors buried in stoicism, substance abuse

• Gender tracks for reintegration programs• Demobilization – unlearning wartime behavior and learning

peacetime skills

Military Service

• Voluntary and forced conscription

• Bad living conditions• Hazing

(dedovshchina in Russia)

• Smoking and drug habits

• Benefits of skills, self-discipline and networking• “Boys will be boys” issue in reintegration• PTSD and other psychological effects

Unemployment and Concurrent Lack of Breadwinner Status

• Unemployment Statistics• Youth Unemployment Statistics• Migration and Trafficking in Persons

Gender Perspectives

Unemployment (% from Labor Force)

Youth Age 15-24 Unemployment (% from Youth Labor Force)

Migration and Trafficking in Persons

• Response to chronic high unemployment and low wages in the region

• Not viewed negatively because of remittances

• Occupational health challenges due to unregulated workplaces

• Many stressors for and abuses of labor migrants

• Less likely to seek help or social services

• TIP for men hidden due to chronic underreporting

• Male TIP victims more often charged with immigration violations and deported as irregular migrants

Trends in Education and Training

• Early Education Statistics on Repeaters• Upper- and Post-Secondary Education

Statistics• Anecdotal Reports on Training

Repeaters in Primary Education (2009-2010; except LTU and SVK 2008-2009; and MDA 2007-2008)

Repeaters in Lower-Secondary Education (2009-2010; except LTU, SVK 2008-2009; MDA 2007-2008; and CZE 2004-2005)

Gender Concepts

Upper Secondary Enrollment – General Programs Only (2009-2010; except SVK 2008-2009)

Non-Tertiary Education Enrollment(2009-2010; except GEO and SVK 2008-2009)

Tertiary Education Enrollment (2009-2010; except SVK 2008-2009)

Recommendations

• USAID Overarching Recommendations• USAID Programming

Recommendations

• USAID Overarching Recommendations– General– Gender integration mechanisms

• USAID Programming– Cross-cutting (more than one sector)– Health and Education– Economic Growth– Democracy and Conflict Mitigation

Recommendations in 3 categories: Men-specific programming, Integrated for both sexes, and Men as partners

USAID Overarching Recommendations - General

• Include men in gender analysis and guidance.

• ID and develop more resource materials about specific men’s gender issues in the region.

• Expand use of men as partners and CME approaches beyond reproductive health sector.

• Apply women and partners and constructive female engagement principles to new programs targeting men.

• Develop more gender projects, not just “women’s projects”.

• Recognize that gender equitable approaches will be needed to achieve gender equality in area of disparity affecting men.

• Build men’s leadership in solving their own social problems.

USAID Overarching Recommendations (continued)

• Remember the cross-cutting nature of gender when working on youth programming.

• Focus on alleviating gender disparities, rather than programming based on stereotypes.

• Use comparative analysis of sex-disaggregated statistics and gender data in developing and monitoring of activities.

Gender Integration Mechanisms• Gender in a New Country Strategy

• Gender-Sensitive Results Framework and PMP

• Be Specific about Gender in Assessments and Surveys

Data Issues

USAID Programming – Cross-cutting

• Develop relevant reintegration services for ex-combatants and young men finishing military service.

• Expand social services targeting men (e.g., substance abuse treatment, violence and anger management, positive parenting).

• Integrate protocols for treatment and support of male victims into GBV services.

• Promote a coordinated community response to DV and TIP that integrates male victims of all ages into protocols and training.

• Partner with local gender experts and interested orgs to promote gender education programs for children, teens and adults.

USAID Programming – Cross-cutting (continued)

• Promote male involvement in projects addressing gender inequality and reducing VAW, and encourage men’s positive engagement as fathers and caregivers.

• Collect epidemiological health data on chemical exposures that are sex-specific, especially concerning releases of POPs, heavy metals, and EDCs.

• Work w/both men and women legislators to promote gender quality laws and implementation mechanisms.

• Work with executive branch to include gender analysis in all technical analyses of laws and legislation.

Health and Education Recommendations

Men-specific• PHC – healthy lifestyle public awareness campaigns• Substance abuse – alcohol and drug substance abuse treatment and

smoking cessation programs• PHC & RH – men’s health promotion activities; men’s health

specialists (andrologists); reproductive health and urology; men’s mental health needs; GBV against men and boys

• Health Education – young men’s health, relationship skills, and gender equality

• Vocational Training – employment training and job placement for migrating men and those at risk for migration; men sharing household work

• Secondary Education – high school dropout rates for boys

Health and Education Recommendations (continued)

Integrated for both sexes• PHC Reform – health care needs of men and placement of

andrologists• RH – reproductive health of men and male infertility

• HIV/AIDS and TB – MARPs targeting of both sexes

• Secondary Education – school-based GBV

• Vocational Training – non-traditional vocations

Men as partners• RH – integrate CME principles in all

RH programs, and TB and HIV prevention and treatment

Economic Growth Recommendations

Men-specific• Microfinance – microfinance lending

for (a) migrating men, (b) unemployed men at risk for migration, (c) young men at risk for criminality and (d) any other identified target group

• Economic Policy/Business Development – workplace safety (in environmental, labor union, WTO accession and oil & gas project activities)

Economic Growth Recommendations (continued)

Integrated for both sexes • Economic/Public Policy – separate government budgeting to

address men’s social issues

Men as partners• Microfinance – men spouses of women microfinance clients re

(a) perceived threats to manhood, (b) men’s own opportunities, (c) emotional and household labor support to successful women entrepreneurs

• Business Associations – men business owners to network with women business owners

Democracy and Conflict Mitigation Recommendations

Men-specific• Civil Society – substance abuse self-help groups• Human Rights – surveillance mechanisms for human rights

violations of GBV such as (a) hate crimes against men, (b) DV,(c) TIP, (d) military hazing, and sexual violence

Integrated for both sexes • Peace Building – alliances in post-conflict peace-building and

pre-war conflict mitigation• Civil Society Advocacy – reform of military hazing• Rule of Law/ Human Rights – human rights clinics and groups,

GBV against men and boys, including IDPs and refugees

Democracy and Conflict Mitigation Recommendations (continued)

Men as partners• Women’s Political Participation –

quota laws; women in political positions

• Civil Society/Women’s Rights – civil society activities in health, education and social sectors; men against violence against women

Closing Thoughts

I would like to dedicate this paper to the men in my life who helped me realize that men and boys everywhere have struggles of their own based on the gender box in which society tries to put them. Together, we can be partners in addressing the gender issues faced by women and by men, by girls and by boys – and in seeking true gender equality that will benefit us all.

Men and Boys