On September 28, 2016, Equimundo collaborated to launch the new Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) MenEngage Platform, connecting practitioners across the region to exchange best practices in engaging men and boys in gender justice and challenging harmful gender stereotypes in programming, policy, and research.
Led by the UNFPA EECA Regional Office in collaboration with the MenEngage Alliance, Equimundo, and UNFPA Country Offices, the platform is open to nongovernmental organizations, civil society organizations, state institutions, experts, government representatives, academics, and UN partners.
The platform aims to bring together these different actors committed to engaging men and boys to address stereotypical gender norms, eliminate violence against women and girls, combat harmful practices that foster injustice, and increase access to and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services.
The EECA MenEngage Platform includes:
- Resources and training including information on successful gender-transformative strategies being implemented within the region, as well as opportunities for long-distance capacity building (e.g., webinars, training events, and conferences).
- Opportunities for exchange to share best practices, challenges, and lessons learned on engaging men and boys in gender-transformative programming, and to receive and provide technical assistance.
- Connections to partners to build collaboration through working groups; develop joint advocacy, campaigns, initiatives, and actions; and broaden networks of regional actors to amplify voices for gender justice.
Members of the platform will receive newsletters showcasing promising new approaches, participate in webinars, and share new information through the platform’s website, as well as its Facebook and Instagram accounts.
At the moment, the platform includes members from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkmenistan.
About the Launch:
The September 28 launch of the EECA MenEngage Platform was hosted by the UNFPA EECA Regional Office and presented via webinar. During the launch, Equimundo presented the rationale for engaging men and boys for gender justice and for the platform’s creation in the EECA region. The MenEngage Alliance presented the platform’s core principles, its code of conduct, and its connection to the MenEngage Alliance’s global work.
Watch the launch in English and Russian below:
Learn More:
Read about the EECA MenEngage Platform’s launch on UNFPA’s website, and learn more about the platform by visiting its website.