Men in Belarus (in Russian)

In 2013, MÄN launched the Sida-funded project “Men in Belarus” together with two Belarusian organisations. The project’s goal was to achieve a nationwide and sustainable system contributing to fathers’ increased involvement in their children’s lives.

The method MÄN used to reach fathers was to invite them to join self-reflective groups, where they can safely discuss caring for children, caring for relationships, and challenging stereotypes around fatherhood. The group meetings were led by a trained facilitator.

When the project ended in 2021, 153 father group facilitators had been trained and 2,890 fathers joined father groups as participants. In total, more than 20,000 people participated in the project’s various activities. In 2019, the project contributed to the implementation of a new law in Belarus that allowed fathers to stay home for 14 days after the birth of their child.

Partners: Sida, Gender Perspectives, Klub Lvov