By Ranjita Biswas

Bali, Aug 13 (IBNS) Men with their image of ‘macho-ness’ are often seen as being on the opposite side of gender imbalance scale. It is particularly true in the context of the Asia –Pacific region with its continued patriarchal norms. But new thoughts and new ideas are blowing in a change in attitude as the session Men can change-Reducing the Burden on women and girls and their vulnerabilities to HIV demonstrated.

For one, the need for involving men in gender-sensitive programs has well been recognized policy making by national and international bodies which were discussed and elaborated on during various sessions of the ongoing ICAAP9 in Bali.

As chair Kiran Bhatia, (Gender Advisor, UNFPA, Asia and Pacific Regional Office APRO) pointed out, in any program on women empowerment and sensitization the involvement of their partners is an
essential element. However, for a long time, this segment, so vital in this region’ was not given adequate focus but now is getting recognition. After all, women and girls account for more than half of the new HIV infections in the Asia-Pacific region. A recent report (March, 2009) by the Commission on the Status of Women emphasizes the need to reduce women and girls’ vulnerabilities to HIV and AIDS
including by gender based violence; and men can change, as works by people at the grassroots demonstrate.

Firstly, as young innovator Muhammad Shahzad Khan of Pakistan pointed out very rightly, “Men too have to suffer from the ‘image’ construction society imposes. Men have to prove they are
‘manly’ they have to behave in a certain way which is often imposed on them.” Khan established his NGO Chanan Development Association and is also National Y-PEER Focal Point in a deeply conservative part of his country out of his own personal experience.

In his native area girls are married off early, and they are not able to have their say. He saw it happening in his own home but when his 15 year old elder sister was going to be married with a 50 year old man- he was only 12 then, took the support of the women in the house and along with them went on a hunger strike to stop the marriage. His father was afraid of societal pressure but relented’ ultimately they had to leave their village for defying the local society. This experience moved Khan to begin his work of sensitizing adolescent boys and men through various programs. His motto “Treat women as human beings.”

Sujit Modak works in the Sonagachi , the largest red light area in Kolkata in eastern India. The Sonagachi Project is famous for programs of empowerment of commercial sex workers who have rallied

together under the Durbar Mahila Samnwaya Committee (DMSC) and the success of their condom promotion through a peer-worker network drawn from among themselves. Many of the sex workers have regular customers (babus). However, many of them do not like to use condoms or are not sensitive to their needs. Hence the women have also introduced a project to involve the babus in their campaign for safe sex. Today, many of the babus willingly register themselves as participants inthe project.

Nur Hassyim of Indonesia shared his experience of working as a media manager at Research and Training at Rifka Annisa on how introducing gender-sensitization among men and also adolescent boys at the schools, football clubs etc. have paid dividends. “We try to tell them about the ‘new image’ of men which is not necessarily an aggressive, male one but one which is humane and caring.” Clearly it is time to advocate this New Image not only in the fight against HIV/AIDs but also gender violence programs which are linked, the participants felt.