Accelerating girls' rights; the case for engaging adolescent boys in efforts to end GBV

Highlights

This position paper articulates the rationale for how UNICEF can accelerate progress and strengthen investments on gender equality and girls’ rights specifically through engaging boys. The paper will provide a framework to intentionally engage adolescent boys as agents of change and as partners in the prevention of violence and achieving gender equality, contributing to the advancement of girls’ rights and empowerment. This rationale is situated within the context of increasing global and regional anti-rights movements and backlash against gender equality and girls’ rights. The promotion of harmful gender norms, misinformation, and resistance to rights-based approaches is becoming more visible and organized. This paper aims to respond to a growing recognition that preventing violence and achieving gender equality requires addressing the social and gender norms that shape boys’ attitudes, behaviours, and relationships from an early age.

Specifically, the paper examines the growing risks and impact of gender equality “backlash” and anti-rights movements in the Pacific Islands region and identifies limitations and gaps in prevailing approaches to ending intergenerational violence against women and children in the Pacific. It makes the case for early, gender-transformative and cross-sectoral investment that engages adolescent boys as part of a comprehensive prevention strategy. It provides practical, cross-sectoral guidance for UNICEF Pacific and its partners’ programming and normative work, aligned with regional frameworks and commitments.

For more information on this publication or UNICEF’s workstream on engaging boys, please contact Michelle Muller, Child Protection Specialist, at [email protected].