Young men and the construction of masculinity in Sub-Sharan Africa

Implications for HIV/AIDS, conflict, and violence

By: Gary Barker & Christine Ricardo
Published by: World Bank, 2005
Via: Siyanda

In the literature on conflict and HIV/AIDS, African men are often presented in simplistic and overtly negative terms. It is generally taken for granted that those who use weapons are men whilst those who suffer the consequences of conflict are women, and that men always hold power in sexual relationships whilst women are uniformly powerless. This report argues that applying a more sophisticated gender analysis as it relates to conflict and HIV/AIDS is essential in order to understand how both women and men are made vulnerable by rigid ideas of masculinity and gender hierarchies. Throughout the report references are made to alternative, non-violent forms of masculinity and to elements of traditional socialisation in Africa which promote more gender-equitable attitudes on the part of young men. Included are examples of young men whose stories reveal ways in which men can question and counter prevailing norms of masculinity. Most importantly, it is crucial to recognise that gender roles are changing and that masculinities are in flux; and it is precisely this environment of change that can be used to promote greater gender equality.