Men hold power to influence control and decisions made from the household level to government level. In many parts of the developing world, both low- and middle income countries, men have the last word and there's not much safe space for women to contribute thoughts or ideas that could potentially benefit everyone and not just a selected few. Intentionally designing traditionally "female" conversations to include and engage men is necessary to significantly reduce preventable maternal-newborn deaths and disabilities; reduce rapid spread of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS in women and girls; increase number of girls going to school and pursuing higher education; increase use and acceptance of birth spacing options; and more. Men cannot be left behind in the movement to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and advance the rights and well-being of women and girls around the world.
CSI's approach
We had to begin the conversations from a male-centered position and we set the platform by inviting and recruiting men of influence from their communities, educating and training them, and providing them with adequate support to deliver the messages. The CSI Men for Women & Girls are key to reaching out to other men in their networks through organized community-based activities, workshops, and conferences to increase awareness and necessary action men need to take to address the dire needs of women and girls at the grassroots level. It is a mental and cultural role shift for men and women, as more men get introduced to discussions and conversations, which historically have been deemed for women, but critical to achieve gender parity and thriving communities. #CSIMen
Meet the CSI Men Championing Progress for Women & Girls
