“Men's involvement in protecting women's rights is very important. In general, the rights of women are violated by men,” says Gamlet Ismailov from the village of Zemo Karabulakhi, Dmanisi Municipality. He is one of the local men who participated in the training module “Men Talking to Men.”
In my village, I have personally often heard of and witnessed cases when men are given priority in terms of education; I have heard them saying that women should stay home and men should work, that men should be education, etc. I think this is wrong. On the contrary, education is probably more necessary for women, for them to develop and get a job,” he says.
In 2016, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office, in cooperation with the partner organization “We Care”, started implementing a one-day training module “Men Talking to Men” in Tbilisi, Kakheti and Samegrelo. In 2020 the initiative was implemented in Guria and Imereti, and Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti joined the initiative in 2021.
The training module “Men Talking to Men” was developed in partnership with the international organization “Equimundo” and is based on international practice and research data. The module was adapted by local facilitators to make it compatible with the cultural and social context of Georgia.
During the session, facilitators and participants talk in a safe and secure environment about topical issues such as equal distribution of family responsibilities, equal involvement in raising and caring for children, caring for family members, identifying elements of violence and relevant reporting. The training module consists of an interactive activity, visual learning resources and is based on the principles of informal education.
"Despite the progress, gender discrimination is still a problem, the elimination of which is a daily struggle. The involvement of men in this process as well as their effort are of special importance. Our goal is to ensure that, after the training, participants of “Men Talking to Men” are able to think critically about established stereotypes and norms, toxic masculinity, equal opportunities and the barriers that prevent them from becoming more caring partners, spouses, family members and employees. The data and the experiences from other countries show that raising awareness, encouraging critical thinking and changing the norms that lead to inequality are important steps in creating an equal, fair and harmonious environment. It is clear that men who show high sensitivity to discriminatory norms make better partners, leaders, employees, supporters, and caring family members. Thus, “Men Talking to Men” creates a safe space where young men have the opportunity to take first steps on the road towards equality,” – says Marika Kurdadze, Program Officer of the UNFPA.
Men of different ages participated in the training module, however, according to Gamlet Ismailov, “it is a great motivation, especially for young people, when someone comes to talk to them about these problems; it makes them feel that they are not alone, that there are people they can turn to for help or information.”
Our village is located very far from Tbilisi, and we are also far from the municipal centre as well. In general, no one comes to us to talk about these issues, which is why there is a lack of awareness of the issues. I would like to express my gratitude specially for the fact that these meetings were held in the Azerbaijani language, because there is a language barrier for the majority of the population living here,” he added.
According to him, it is important that while attending the training he learned that “being a decent and non-violent person is not enough, you should also be able to protect others.”
Women's rights are often violated because they do not receive support from those around them. We should always think that our children may become victims of violence tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, if we don't change the wrong way of thinking that prevails today,” he says.
Another participant of the training module, the father of two, 28-year-old Isa Aivazov from the village of Burma, also noted that he had listened to ideas and opinions expressed by some like-minded people, which made him feel happy:
I think a society cannot be considered as developed and realized when both men and women are victims of stereotypes. “It's not a man's job”, “A man shouldn't be doing some household chores”, “A woman shouldn't be involved in a decision-making process in the family”, “Why should a man do what women are supposed to be doing?” - Such attitudes are stereotypical and we should say no to them.
As he points out, men should not only help women with childcare or household chores, but they should also involve women in the processes of making decision on their family and listen to and consider their opinions.
