As an integral part of the “+Pai” project, the Noos Institute in partnership with Promundo is carrying out Gender Reflective Groups with a Responsible Approach with men in situations of violence with their intimate partners and women. The Noos Institute has been working with this practice since 99, aiming to build a culture of peace and promote gender equality.
The methodology of the meetings involves the active participation of men who, together with the facilitators, define the group's coexistence agreements and the topics to be covered during the meetings. The men arrive at Noos via spontaneous demand or because they are covered by the Maria da Penha Law and participate in 13 meetings lasting 2 and a half hours.
According to Alan Bronz, coordinator of “+Pai” at the Noos Institute, the number of men referred by justice has increased and, along with this fact, so have the challenges to be faced by the work. “It is more difficult to work with the new profile because it is a conviction. Men arrive victimized, angry, feeling wronged. Getting them out of this place is a challenge to build a more critical stance”, he states.
To face these challenges, Noos has made changes to its methodology, such as, for example, adopting a mixed pair (a man and a woman) to facilitate groups. For Alan Bronz, this is an experience that can help men begin to give new meaning to the place of women, previously seen as submissive, and have to relate to them as equals. Furthermore, some subtle aspects of gender inequalities and prejudices may go unnoticed in a conversation mediated only by men.
Since the beginning of its work with men, Noos has faced difficulties in maintaining the practice of reflective groups, as this approach is not widespread in the country and faces resistance from groups that believe only in punitive measures for this population profile. With the approval of the Maria da Penha Law, which includes work with men in its text, this situation has been changing little by little and this practice has gained greater visibility and consistency. The project is monitored and evaluated by Noos with its own methodology to detect the profile and type of violence practiced, as well as evaluating the impact of the intervention on changing men's attitudes.
Global Initiative
“+Pai” is a global initiative that aims to help men engage in equitable gender relationships and be emotionally connected to their children, partners and themselves. In this sense, the project promotes actions to promote sexual and reproductive health, encourage active fatherhood, father participation in prenatal care, promote maternal and child health, prevent violence against women and children and approach men who commit violence. .
The initiative is funded by the Dutch Embassy and is being developed in Brazil, Rwanda, South Africa and Indonesia, where it is coordinated by partner organizations.
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