“We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back” – Malala Yousafzai
Here in the Philippines, women still have to fight for their basic reproductive rights. This is why my organization, Roots of Health works primarily with women and young people. But when we get the chance to work with men, we jump at it.
That is why last November 10 and 11, we partnered with a team of trainers from the Population Commission (PopCom) to hold a workshop for some of Palawan’s male leaders called “Promoting KATROPA Movement”. KATROPA stands for Kalalakihang Tapat sa Responsibilidad at Obligasyon sa Pamilya.
Roots of Health and the Palawan Reproductive Health Advocacy Network invited the organizers to come to Palawan and implement their program, which is specifically geared to providing men with education on issues relating to gender, sexuality and relationships. Recognizing the importance of disseminating this kind of information, the organizers invited leaders from 30 barangays so that the participants could bring back their newfound knowledge and ideas to their own barangay councils.
The participants included Barangay Captains, Councilors, Tanods and leaders from the general public from 20 Barangays in Puerto Princesa. The men were enthusiastic and eager to learn.
The two-day training began with an overview of the Basic Concepts of Gender Sensitivity. Ms. Lourdes P. Nacionales, Chief Administrative Officer of PopCom, kicked things off by asking the men to draw images that come to mind when they hear words “man” and “woman”. During the processing of these images, she went through the different characteristics/stereotypes of men and women. Men were labeled “Protector, macho,” and women “light of the home, she who takes care of people.” Ms. Nacionales then pointed out that there are women who possess the qualities attributed to men, and men who possess qualities listed for women. After some discussion the men realized that while gender roles are set ideas, they can be fluid and can apply to both men and women.
In this general atmosphere of openness, the men went on to consider themselves, their own feelings, their importance as men, and what it means to be a man in modern times. Another PopCom facilitator led the men through sessions on male sexuality and respecting that sexuality. Then they moved on to discuss the need for men to stay healthy and what it meant to have a healthy life. A large part of this was relationships. The men learned about things they could work on to improve their relationships with their wives, partners, and children. During this time they also discussed proper birth spacing and the various family planning methods. This conversation was very lively with many questions and comments from the participants. Some of the questions were a bit naughty, and were met with much laughter and enjoyment.
On a more serious note, the men also discussed violence against women and children. They learned about the laws in place to protect women and children, and also talked about healthier ways for men to express anger – ways that do not result in violence.
During the second day of the training, the men went over the basics of pregnancy and prenatal care, and also discussed healthy ways to care for children. The men were encouraged to look beyond gender roles that primarily place responsibility for care of children on mothers. They were urged to view their marriages as partnerships, and thus also share the roles of parenting their children.
The participants spent the last few hours of the training making plans to form their own advocacy groups and implement this KATROPA training for other men in their communities. The PopCom and ROH organizers were pleased with this outcome and will continue working with this group of leaders to help improve men’s understanding of and knowledge about gender and sexuality issues.