Traditionally, Mexican culture is hierarchical in nature and there is a definite leaning toward a "macho" approach in the way men interact with women. Male superiority is a given, and the majority of women are oppressed and brutalized by their menfolk in everyday life. According to the Human Rights Commission, in Mexico City, 80% of female victims of domestic violence are victims on multiple occasions.
CORIAC (Men's Collective for Equal Relations) works with men from different, social, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds to help Mexican men understand and approach gender-related dichotomies in an informed manner. Its aim is to redifine masculinity so that both sexes can coexist in harmony.
Traditionally, Mexican culture is hierarchical in nature and there is a definite leaning toward a "macho" approach in the way men interact with women. Male superiority is a given, and the majority of women are oppressed and brutalized by their menfolk in everyday life. According to the Human Rights Commission, in Mexico City, 80% of female victims of domestic violence are victims on multiple occasions.
Studies have highlighted that domestic violence and the abuse of women and children are often triggered when male dominance and authority are questioned. The social and financial reality in today's Mexico is that male-female equations are being turned upside-down, with more and more women joining the workforce. No longer the sole 'provider and sustainer' of women and children, men are beginning to feel challenged. This undermining of their 'superiority' often leads to frustration, which in turn, leads them to hit out, physically and psychologically, at thir partners and children.
CORIAC's "Men and Domestic Violence Project" came into being in 1993 to overcome this "cultural wall." We believe that traditional Mexican approaches to masculinity impoverish everyday life. In a society where even discussions on issues related to masculinity and male problems are hardly heard, our methodology actually encourages discussion and we conduct workshops around these 'sensitive' topics!
We use a three-pronged strategy to reach 'potentially' violent males, including men who are in professions where heirarchy and power are important elements. At one level, we reach out to them through personal contact and counseling sessions, all of which take place in their own setting, and cultural and geograhical contexts. For example, we initiated agreements with corporate houses, unions, and police departments, all of whom now allow us to conduct discussions and workshops with their staff around issues of male violence. Rural communities are reached through NGOs who already have a foothold in villages.
Secondly, through our Research Center, we train new professionals to deal with domestic violence issues, including it's prevention. At the moment, our center offers a specialization degree on domestic violence, and as well as a series of courses on responsible parenting, and male violence, including a course on alternative approaches to conflict resolution.
Finally, we have worked out a communications strategy to promote our work and to build an understanding of domestic violence issues. Every year we carry out a national campaign on TV and radio about the effects of domestic violence in Mexican society. This campaign has the support of some of our key partners, including UNICEF, Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, National Congress, and the Autonomous National University of Mexico, among others.
We have found that working with men is extremely delicate and complex. For example, our training sessions and workshops have three levels where men receive different types of information and counseling. According to our figures, desertion at this stage is very high. Not too many men finish all three levels. However, this is slowly changing.
A turning point for CORIAC was when we organized a media blitzkrieg on harmful and violent parenting practices. We generated such a huge media outcry, that the City Assembly of Mexico DF convened a press conference wherin they forced legislators to address these issues. In 1997, the Mexican Congress passed an Act laying out what domestic violence was and making it punishable by law. This is an extremely important step because it approves federal funds to address problems arising from male violence through concrete public policies.
Today, CORIAC's outreach has expanded to other areas of the country, to Colima and Xalapa in Veracruz state.
Original: CORIAC