Change Begins from Within

Htut Aung was connected to one of ActionAid Myanmar’s Paralegals whilst working for the Hlaing Tharyar Youth Network. It was then that he was invited to take part in AAMs Male Role Model Programme - a programme that aims to prevent gender-based violence and promote urban safety, especially for women and girls, through strengthening community led prevention and protection mechanisms.

Htut Aung attended a 5-day training programme where he was able to learn about gender concepts, feminism, patriarchy and gender-based violence. It was as a result of this training that he decided to officially enrol in the male role model programme and with support from AAM, provide community and peer to peer awareness raising sessions, to challenge the social norms held by other men.

“Before engaging in the programme I thought that women and girls had narrow minds and lacked knowledge compared to men… I also realised that I had abused and verbally harassed women. It was regular practice among my community and within my family. After the training, my attitude towards women and girls had completely changed and I realised that if I was going to become a male role model, I needed to practice what I had learnt, so now I do not practice any harmful social norms towards women and girls. Now, when it comes to creating my own family, I will do so with a gender equal attitude and I will teach my children to be non-discriminatory.

Engaging other men has been challenging at times, particularly when challenging privilege and power, but with support from AAM my capacity, communication and facilitation skills are improved and I am able to use various methodologies to provide awareness raising activities. I also provide awareness raising on prevention of gender based violence and awareness of Myanmar Protection Law for Women and Girls. Thanks to the support from staff at AAM and the male role model programme, I do think that community violence has reduced. Also, I have seen positive changes in my family and friends attitudes towards women and girls. Now my close friends attitude towards his wife is respectful and he even supports her with unpaid care work at home.