MISSING PIECES - Inter-Parliamentary Union
MISSING PIECES - Inter-Parliamentary Union
MISSING PIECES - Inter-Parliamentary Union
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
THEME 4<br />
entered a classroom and killed fourteen female students. The campaign—<br />
of men speaking out against violence against women—is now active in over<br />
40 countries worldwide. In 2005, a group of organisations came together<br />
to form a global network to engage men and boys in gender equality and<br />
violence reduction. ‘MenEngage’ seeks to assist the hundreds of mostly<br />
small programmes working worldwide to engage boys and men in questioning<br />
rigid and often violent views of manhood and, in the process,<br />
improve the health and well-being of men, boys, women and girls. 26<br />
Other programmes have been set up to promote employability and<br />
employment for disadvantaged youth. The ‘Alliance for African Youth<br />
Employment’ was launched in 2004 by the <strong>Inter</strong>national Youth Foundation<br />
with the US Agency for <strong>Inter</strong>national Development (USAID), Nokia<br />
and Lion’s Club. 27 This initiative will provide young people in rapidly<br />
urbanising areas of South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique and Rwanda with<br />
job training, career counselling, direct placement in internships and jobs,<br />
and the skills to create their own businesses.<br />
2. Women’s multiple roles<br />
Although much of their work goes unrecognised, women play multiple<br />
roles in situations of war and armed violence. Also, while women have<br />
been largely excluded from formal security policy making, there are many<br />
examples of women working at the local level to build peace, prevent<br />
violence, and encourage disarmament all over the world. The US Million<br />
Mom March 28 , the Israeli Women in Black 29 , the Sierra Leonean Mano<br />
River Women’s Peace Network 30 , and the Bougainvillean <strong>Inter</strong>-Church<br />
Women’s Forum are just a few examples.<br />
I realized how dangerous it was to have a gun in my home [after<br />
nearly pulling the trigger during a fight with her husband]. I hid it<br />
in the house and told my husband it was stolen from my car. This<br />
was before I heard about the Arms Exchange Programme – I heard<br />
about the weapons exchange and decided to get rid of it once and for<br />
all. Now I am not so scared. 31<br />
In Brazil, by contrast, interviews with young women reveal how they<br />
can facilitate men’s use of violence by hiding or transporting guns, drugs<br />
and money, ferrying messages to criminals in prison, or acting as a lookout<br />
for police or rival gangs. They also subscribe to the image that a guntoting<br />
man is sexy and desirable: ‘Sometimes guys will even borrow guns,<br />
85