‘Conversations with Men’

Abstract

This research on the Gender Conversations with Men media project in Southern Africa investigates the significance of collaboration in promoting effective and sustainable media practices on gender issues using the partnership between STEPS and their partner organizations as a case study. STEPS, established in 2000, is a non-profit media organization based in South Africa that uses film and video as tools for social change. It has longstanding relationships with 9 partner organizations in 7 different Southern Africa countries. This case study offers a wholly Global South example of a collaborative, multi-country media advocacy program centered on gender issues. Additionally, the researchers are based in and/or from the region from which they both have practice-based participatory video backgrounds. The varied types and levels of collaboration found within the ‘web’ of project relationships was considered from the framework of co-creation to assess questions of power, equity and reciprocity. The nature of the collaboration was then considered in terms of assessing its relevance to indicators of project success and efficacy. Data was collected through document and media gathering and analysis - including Gender Conversations with Men program documentation, the STEPS films used in the first 2 phases of the program, and the participatory ‘change story’ videos created as part of the project. Research visits were conducted with onsite focus groups and semi-structured interviews with program coordinators and facilitators with 6 of the partner organizations in 4 countries. Of most relevance to this paper, the various collaborative relationships within the network were explored in these research interactions as well as change stories at facilitator and community participant level. This paper argues that the specific type of collaboration that took place within the Gender Conversations with Men project was co-creation and that this contributed significantly to the high levels of ownership of the process at local project level. The locally based partner organizations were able to develop and run programs they deemed most appropriate to their needs, which enabled highly engaged conversations at community-level screenings as well as authentic participatory video storytelling. The first-hand ‘change stories’ collected from the research suggest a high level of impact at facilitator (and community) level on attitude and behavior change specifically on young men through their participation in virtual interactive workshops, facilitation of (or participation in) community screenings and the making of the participatory ‘change story’ videos. This research highlights the critical role of interrogating pervasive claims of ‘collaboration’ to consider authentic co-creation as a more effective and sustainable way in which to address sensitive topics, such as gender issues, through media advocacy practices. Co-creation allows for diverse perspectives and expertise to come together based on principles of equity and reciprocity to foster engagement, motivation, and ownership among participants. The case study provides insights for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers interested in using collaborative approaches in their media interventions.