How do men see their role in advancing gender equality?

Region Gotland and Kibaha Town Council use their municipal partnership to improve gender equality and progress on the SDGs. Through their partnership they learn from each other, they also help each other learn from their own communities, and ICLD supports them with ways to learn even more.
In the fall of 2022, both municipalities took part in a training on Community-Based Participatory Research, where civil servants and academics came together to practice ways of capturing citizen’s experiences, assets and aspirations. Using what they learned, Gotland and Kibaha created a Participatory Video to explore how men in their localities perceive gender equality, if change is needed, and what their own role in that is.
So how does a video like this contribute to actually improving gender equality? There are multiple pathways:
- Increased understanding: By asking men about their perceptions of gender equality, the local government can gain a deeper understanding of the attitudes and beliefs of men in the community. This can help to identify barriers to gender equality and inform the development of targeted interventions.
- Promoting reflection and dialogue: The participatory video can serve as a catalyst for reflection and dialogue among men about gender equality. By encouraging men to share their perspectives and experiences, the video can promote a deeper understanding of the issue and help to build support for gender equality.
- Raising awareness: The participatory video can be used to raise awareness about gender equality among men and the wider community. By bringing the issue to the forefront, the video can promote greater engagement and activism on the issue.
- Advocating for change: By providing a visual representation of the perspectives and experiences of men with regards to gender equality, the participatory video can be used to advocate for change at the local, national, and international levels.
Region Gotland and Kibaha can use the knowledge in refining their efforts toward gender equality, and leverage the engagement created in the community to accelerate change. Providing local governments with this tool is one way in which ICLD strengthens people’s opportunity to influence decisions that affect their lives.
Read more about the partnership between Kibaha and Gotland
What is participatory video?
Participatory video is a community-based approach to video production in which the community plays an active role in all aspects of the production process, from conceptualization to dissemination. It is a form of visual storytelling that empowers communities to share their perspectives, experiences, and knowledge with others.
Participatory video is a way to connect research and practice by promoting collaboration between communities and local government. By involving communities in all aspects of the video production process, participatory video provides local government with a deeper understanding of community perspectives and experiences, which can inform decision-making and improve the effectiveness of local government programs and policies. At the same time, participatory video empowers communities by giving them a voice and a platform to share their experiences and perspectives, promoting community engagement and advocacy. In this way, participatory video can help to bridge the gap between research and practice, promoting evidence-based decision-making and community-centered approaches to problem-solving.