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you think that we have forgotten men in our
struggle for equal rights?
My role in the creation of an International
Men’s Day is exaggerated. The fact is that I
was contacted by some progressive men from
the University of the West Indies based on
the work we were doing on how men could
contribute better to a transformation away
from cultures of war and violence towards
a culture of peace and non-violence. I just
gave them moral support and perhaps some
practical advice. 19 November was chosen
as an International Men’s Day because it was
the birthday of the father of the initiator.
Although 19 November is celebrated in
many countries, the United Nations has yet
to establish such a day.

The broad discrimination of women
remains the world’s biggest human rights
violation. But rigid and stereotyped gender
roles continue to prevent individuals, both
bandasjert jord women and men, from realizing their full
potential and run counter to the principle
of participatory democracy. Whilst women’s
A new phase started for me on the famous roles and status have been broadly debated
date 11 September 2001 when my tenure as over the last decades, men have been seen as
UNESCO’s representative to Pakistan started. the standard human being – the norm. And
At the outset, the priority was Education men’s roles and positions have been much
for All. The war in Afghanistan made the less discussed and even less questioned.
area a political hot spot, and considerable
time was spent also on helping the Afghan One of the first international conferences on
refugees in Pakistan within UNESCO’s male roles and violence was organized by
fields of competence and working with the UNESCO in Oslo in 1997, and the UNESCO
interim government in Afghanistan. My publication Male Roles, Masculinities and
gender and culture of peace background Violence. A Culture of Peace Perspective
turned out to be useful. My last posting followed in 2000. Statistics gathered by the
with UNESCO was as director of the liaison researchers showed that men (often young
office in Geneva, where the main task was men) were responsible for almost 90% of all
to link up with the United Nations agencies physical violence. Participants emphasized,
with headquarters in Geneva in order to however, that most men are not violent,
develop joint projects and keep doors open nor do they have violent inclinations. It
for diplomatic cooperation. was argued that men, in general, through
their upbringing, feel entitled to dominant
Q: You also proposed the creation of an positions in the family, in work and political
International Men’s Day, a little like life, and they react negatively when this
International Women’s Day, 8 March. Do entitlement is not fulfilled. Young men may

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