International projects and assignments

Our knowledge and experience of how to prevent violencemake parenthood more equal and encourage men and boys to support equality arouses interest and curiosity. Internationally, we engage in both long-term collaborative projects and shorter partnerships, as well as assignments for Swedish and international organisations, authorities and embassies.

Long-term international partnerships

MÄN has worked in long-term partnership projects with civil society organisations in other countries for almost two decades. Today, we mainly work in Eastern Europe, where we focus on engaging men to support equality, end violence and take greater responsibility as fathers. We partner with international actors to contribute to holistic efforts to end men's violence against women, including gender transformative and violence preventive work with fathers and adolescents, support to women and children exposed to violence, and work with perpetrators. We also specifically address the issues of prostitution and sexualised exploitation, and the connection between gender equality and environment.

Examples of previous partnerships include an EU-funded tripartite collaboration addressing sexualised harassment and violence through involving young men in Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK to reflect on gendered norms, equality and consent. We have also been partners in a project supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) to encourage South African, Namibian and Botswanan fathers to take on more responsibility for care work. Over the last years, we have had close contact and exchange with an organisation in Colombia that addresses the link between masculinity and militarisation.

MÄN's international activities are rooted in close partnerships and dialogue. With our international partners, we ensure that core values are shared, help develop each other's expertise and methods, and strengthen accountability and sustainability in efforts to promote equality with a focus on men and masculinities.

Short-term collaborations and consulting work

MÄN not only engages in long-term partnerships: we also do consulting work and participate in shorter projects with actors around the world. We receive international delegations for shorter or longer study visits and regularly conduct trainings for (and/or in cooperation with) Swedish and international organisations, embassies etc. Ethiopia, Georgia, Kenya, Ukraine, South Korea, Vietnam and Colombia are just some of the countries where MÄN has been engaged. Check out the world map below to view examples of assignments and collaborations MÄN has been engaged in the last few years.

We also offer study visits on gender equal parenthood, focused on both practical and theoretical aspects of the work. Read more here.

Russia

Green Fathers in Russia

We worked with a Russian organisation on a photography exhibition, Green Fathers, with photos of fathers and children showing how Russian fathers want to take responsibility for their children and for the climate. The exhibition was shown in various locations, including Izmailovsky Park in Moscow (2019).

Russia

Conference on violence against women

The Swedish Embassy invited Swedish and Russian politicians and community organisations, including MÄN, to meet and discuss men’s violence against women (2019).

Belarus

Training course on masculinity and the environment in Belarus

In collaboration with a Russian organisation, MÄN held a training course on masculinity norms, equality and the environment for Coalition Clean Baltic’s member organisations in Belarus (2019).

Seville, Spain

A feminist agenda against men’s violence

MÄN participated in the conference Feminist Agenda against Men’s Violence against Women in Seville, in a panel discussion about getting men involved in the struggle against men’s violence against women (2021).

Seoul, South Korea

Equality and manliness in Seoul

MÄN was invited by the Swedish Embassy in South Korea and the Nordic Council of Ministers to lecture and discuss equality and manliness with Korean equality activists and the Korean media (2018).

New York, USA

Commission on the Status of Women

MÄN’s chair was included as a representative in the Swedish government delegation to the UN’s annual summit in New York on women’s rights, in 2019 and 2021. MÄN has also co-organised events and seminars at the parallel NGO CSW Forum with a focus on sexualised exploitation and men’s demand for women’s bodies (2018–2021).

Colombia

Exchange of experiences with ACOOC in Colombia

For several years, MÄN has been in touch with the organisation ACOOC in Colombia, which works with the issue of conscientious objection and the link between masculinity and militarisation. A trip to Colombia gave the opportunity to deepen the relationship and to exchange knowledge and experiences (2019).

Copenhagen, Denmark

State of the Nordic Fathers

For the Nordic Council of Ministers, and in collaboration with Promundo, MÄN wrote the report State of the Nordic Fathers, a comparative study of attitudes and views on parenthood and equality in the Nordic countries. The report was presented at a conference in the UN building in Copenhagen (2019).

Rabat, Morocco

MenCare Global Meeting

The third global MenCare conference in Morocco brought together organisations from all around the world to advance their positions globally regarding equal parenthood. MÄN presented our work with parenthood and experiences from Sweden and the Nordic region (2019).

Reykjavík, Iceland

#MeToo Moving Forward

International conference in Reykjavík about the effects of #MeToo. MÄN presented our work on involving men in discussions #AfterMeToo (2019).

Finland

Roundtable discussion about psychosocial support to men

MÄN lectured on their operations and participated in a roundtable discussion about psychosocial measures aiming to reduce destructive masculinity norms (2018).

Helsinki, Finland

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in Finland

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, MÄN’s chair was invited by the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki, to speak and participate in a panel discussion with Finland’s minister for equality (2019)

Oslo, Norway

Making the Invisible Visible

MÄN co-organised and participated in the Nordic MenEngage conference Making the Invisible Visible: Transforming Social Norms among Boys & Men for Gender Justice in Practice (2017).

Crete, Greece

Work with Perpetrators

At a conference organised by the European Network for the Work against Perpetrators (WWP), MÄN held a seminar on talking with boys and young men who have committed sexual assault (2019).

Georgia

Georgian visit to Sweden

A delegation of ministers, political functionaries and representatives from organisations in Georgia visited MÄN to learn about how we in Sweden have worked for a more equal parental insurance system and to get fathers involved (2019).

Regional, Europe

European study visit on prevention of violence

MÄN organised a week-long study visit for organisations from nine European countries (Spain, the UK, Russia, Croatia, Monaco, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Portugal) regarding long-term and systematic work to prevent men’s violence against women (2019).

Regional, Europe

European study visit on prevention of violence

Representatives from Denmark, the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands participated in a level 2 training on systemic violence prevention organised by MÄN. The purpose was for MÄN to contribute to process management for the organisation’s activities in their respective countries (2020).

Sweden, Thailand, Kenya and Colombia

Climate-smart training on equality, the environment and conflict

MÄN organised and participated in a global, but air-travel-free training course in equality, the environment and conflict at the Sida training centre in Härnösand with online participation from regional hubs in Bangkok, Nairobi and Bogotá (2019).

Paris, France

Global Feminist Lab

In 2018, the Swedish Institute invited prominent community organisations to a “laboratory” in Paris to create strategies and action plans for a global feminist agenda.

Bogotá, Columbia

Lessons learned from work with men and boys

On commission from the Swedish Embassy in Bogotá, MÄN held a virtual presentation for Bogotá City Hall with a focus on support activities for men and boys (2021).

Ireland

Training course on accountability in working with men and boys

As coordinator of the MenEngage Europe network, MÄN, alongside MenEngage’s global secretariat, held a three-step training course for the network’s members regarding accountability in working with men and boys (2020).

Nairobi, Kenya

Regional meeting on equal parenthood in East Africa

In collaboration with the Swedish Institute and the Swedish Embassy in Nairobi, MÄN held a regional meeting for organisations from eastern and southern Africa that work with fathers and equal parenthood (2018).

Pretoria, South Africa

Fatherhood & Gender Equality during the covid-19 pandemic

In 2020, MÄN was invited by the Swedish Embassy in Pretoria to contribute to the Live Webinar series Digitally Yours with examples from Sweden of the Covid pandemic’s impact on parenthood in Sweden.

Ukraine

Regional conference on parenthood in Eastern Europe

MÄN presented experiences from its work for equal parenthood in Sweden at a regional conference arranged by UNFPA Ukraine (2021).

Estonia

International Conference on Men and Equal Opportunities

MÄN participated in a panel focused on parenthood and childcare at the fifth International Conference on Men and Equal Opportunities (ICMEO) in Tallinn (2020).

Vienna, Austria

Fatherhood & MenCare meeting

A European meeting in Vienna on parenthood and the global MenCare campaign. MÄN held a workshop on our fathers’ group activities (2019).

Vienna, Austria

Vienna Discussion Forum

MÄN was invited by the Swedish representation in Vienna and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to participate in an expert panel on men’s role in preventing men’s violence against women (2019).

Global

Week of Visibility

Together with several civil society organisations from Sweden, Ireland, Russia, and the US, MÄN co-organised the Week of Visibility to shed light on the issue of sexualised exploitation (2021).

Copenhagen, Denmark

Mysogynist backlash online

MÄN participated in a conference focused on misogynistic radicalisation and backlash online with a presentation of our work in exploring intersectionality and manliness (2020).

Wahington, USA

On sexualised violence, consent and norms

MÄN was invited by the Swedish Embassy in Washington DC to talk about our work against sexualised violence and for consent in practice and legislation (2018).

Banja Luka/Bosnia-Herzegovina

On men and childcare in Banja Luka

MÄN was invited by the Swedish Embassy in Sarajevo to participate in a panel discussion on Swedish parental insurance and Swedish experiences of getting men involved in parenthood and childcare. The talk was held in the city of Banja Luka in connection with the opening of the photo exhibition Swedish Dads (2018).