Chapter 3 - Sexual violence prevention with men and boys as a social justice issue

Abstract

Sexual violence is an issue of social injustice, and engaging men and boys in its prevention and reduction is a social justice project. A feminist and social justice approach to sexual violence prevention, first, recognizes sexual violence as a social injustice: this violence causes harm, is fundamentally linked to power and inequality, and acts as a fundamental barrier to gender equality. A feminist and social justice approach, second, addresses the social inequalities at the root of this violence and, third, works for change through social action. How do contemporary efforts to engage men and boys measure up to this approach? Many show a feminist orientation to gender inequalities, in their curricula and frameworks and the shared agendas of advocates and organizations, and the emergence of the standard that interventions should be “gender-transformative” may intensify attention to the need to challenge systemic gender inequalities. At the same time, the presence of feminist orientations is uneven and few interventions are focused on structural-level factors. A feminist social justice approach also emphasizes “intersectional” attention to the interlocking oppressions that structure violence and gender. The “engaging men” field shows a widespread recognition of men’s diverse experiences of power and privilege, although this has neglected sexuality and class and often focused on disadvantage rather than its obverse, privilege. An intersectional approach also requires challenges to the homophobic and gendered violence and abuse that shape boys’ and men’s relations with each other, and careful attention to men’s and boys’ victimization at the hands of women and girls. A feminist social justice approach involves working for change through social action. On the one hand, men’s antiviolence advocacy has intensified in recent years, and there are desirable emphases on personal and organizational accountability. On the other, relatively few men are involved, most efforts are not directed at powerful men or institutional actors, and particularly in wealthier countries there has been little alliance with other social justice movements.