In July 2016, the Lebanese NGO ABAAD-Gender Equity Resource Center (link in English) and Promundo launched the Ra Program in Beirut with the support of the first Womanity Prize , from the Womanity Foundation (link in English). Adapted from our Program H, Program Ra encourages men and boys to challenge gender-based stereotypes, question traditional ideas about masculinity, and contribute to ending all forms of gender-based violence in Lebanon.
Hussein Safwan provides psychosocial support as part of ABAAD's Women and Girls Safe Spaces Program (WGSS) in Choueifat, Lebanon. In the following interview, Hussein speaks with Promundo about the importance of working with men and boys in Lebanon and shares his thoughts on the Ra Program.
Hussein's interview is the second in a series of three in-depth interviews that Promundo is publishing this month with Ra Program champions in Lebanon. The first interview in the series, with Tala Noweisser, is available here .
What challenges do you see men and boys facing in Lebanon?
The first challenge is stereotypical concepts of masculinity and family traditions, which can bring harmful practices, especially in conflict and post-conflict contexts. The second challenge is the suppression of men's emotions because they think that only women have the right to express emotions. They think that the concept of “man” is that of power: he is not human, he has no feelings.
The negative consequence is that men and boys often use violence because it is a socially acceptable response to stress, especially with their partners. For example, when male refugees come to Lebanon from the war in Syria, they sometimes feel that the only way to express their emotions and resolve problems is to use domestic violence as a coping mechanism. They [are frustrated because] they don't have money or support, so they act in harmful ways to reinforce their feelings of masculinity and rebuild their confidence.
Why is working with men and boys important to you?
It is important to work with boys, because they are the new generation in our country. We place our hope in them to build a society with peace and love, without violence or crime. We hope to build with them a new generation of peace and maturity.
But, there are many challenges to working with men and boys, especially in our country. They often think they know everything and believe that group discussion sessions like the Ra Program are not necessary for them, only for women, because the most important thing for them is learning how to make money. Understanding the concept of masculinity and explaining how you can use your masculinity in positive ways may not be important to them. Maybe if we create a campaign to mobilize young men or a football championship, they will come, but that requires money. If we can successfully mobilize boys, we will see positive results.
How did you start working with the Ra Program?
I am currently working on the Safe Spaces for Women and Girls Program. This program also works with boys, but not on the same scale. The Ra Program will help us work better with men and boys and make connections to prevent violence.
One of the reasons I like the Ra Program is because it is new to the Middle East, especially Lebanon and other Arab countries. We need a program to help men break out of the “box”. Furthermore, men here in Lebanon would like to change, but they don't have a path to take the first step. The Ra Program is the first step for them.
What do you hope the boys achieve by participating in the Ra Program?
I hope they create community groups and replicate the sessions with their communities, parents and friends – and start helping others change.
Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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