Stream Summary: Masculinities and Sexualities
Hub Co-Directors: Dr Choman Hardi, American University of Iraq Sulaimani and Dr Paul Kirby, Queen Mary University of London.
The Masculinities and Sexualities (M&S) stream within the Gender, Justice and Security Hub examines different perspectives on the constructions of masculinity, sexuality and violence, exploring their intricate dynamics and the ways they evolve and are influenced by conflict across regions of the world. In essence, the M&S research stream functions at the intersection of academic inquiry and tangible real-world impact, aiming to produce and share new knowledge, and create or influence relevant polices that contribute to egalitarian practices and a transformed future. The geographical scope of the research includes regions such as Syria, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Uganda, Lebanon, Bosnia, Sierra Leone and South Sudan. The research in this stream is directed toward advancing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 on gender equality, SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions, and the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.
Comparative analysis of the Masculinity and Sexuality projects offers the following key findings and recommendations:
- Reflection through dialogue and focus group discussions: Fostering community dialogue and focus group discussions is very important in promoting reflection, critical thinking, and evaluation of the social dynamics of violence and gender related issues.
- Community ownership: It is important that solutions are developed within the community rather than external contexts. More community level conversations, led by local leaders, religious leaders, educators and activists, are needed on social norms and gender-based issues, as well as working towards producing community led responses and solutions.
- Empowerment through creative expressions: Using diverse creative methods, like poetry writings workshops and photo text activities, have proven effective in encouraging self-expression, challenging stereotypes and aiding in reflection on social issues.
- Capacity building and policy change vs unwillingness to change: Collaboration with key government ministers for capacity building and policy recommendation are effective ways of influencing systemic change and promoting gender sensitivity. However, it remains crucial to acknowledge the overwhelming reluctance within many government agencies to accept and embrace change or adopt new approaches, often due to regulatory constraints and societal pressures. Another important issue is the gap between policy and practice and how some institutions take theoretical steps towards change but undermine implementation.
- Interdisciplinary approach: Examining social issues, such as gender and violence, through a multidisciplinary lens is crucial as it provides more accurate and dynamic insights into the root causes of these deep problems. Additionally, fostering collaboration across disciplines serves to enrich perspectives and enhance the overall impact of each project while making sure duplicate efforts are eliminated.
- Coordinated responses: Achieving gender equality is not the responsibility of NGOs and activists alone, and it will not be possible without the engagement of the larger community. An effective approach requires coordinated responses from the government, the NGO sector, funders and donors, the media, and the broader community.
- Impact of COVID-19: The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously influenced the progress and outputs of the projects by limiting the scope of activities and the need to adopt alternate tasks that can be done remotely. It has also increased gender-based violence against people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC).
Related publications
Related Research
Changing SOGIE in Conflict, Peace and Displacement in the MENA
Men, Peace and Security
Transitional Masculinity, Violence and Prevention
