Philippine E-Journals

Piloting a Community-Based Male Participation Program for Gender and Development

Gail Tan Ilagan

Discipline: Gender Studies

 

Abstract:

It has long been recognized that men and women equally share the burden of productive and reproductive roles (CEDAW 1979; ICPD 1994). However, programmed efforts for gender equity have overwhelmingly focused on protecting and empowering women and their children. Women groups drew strength and justification from these international declarations such that, in many countries, gender work came to be synonymous with women’s rights work. With a feminist perspective fueling these efforts, most of these gender transformative movements proceed from the assumption of the need to first take apart the pervading patriarchy in order to usher in the full enjoyment by women of human rights, freedom of choice, decision, and self-determination.