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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Françoise Girard, LLB; MA, International Women's Health Coalition, 24 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010, 212-979-8500, fgirard@iwhc.org and Alphonsus Ekah, Calabar International Institute For Research, Information and Documentation (CIINSTRID, Nigeria), c/o International Women's Health Coalition, 24 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010.
The Conscientizing Nigerian Male Adolescents (CMA) Project was launched in 1994 in Calabar, Nigeria, to work with adolescent boys to develop critical consciousness, reject discriminatory and sexist prejudices and practices, and protect their sexual and reproductive rights and health and that of their partners. CMA is committed to enhancing dialogue with boys between 14 and 20 to help them challenge prejudices against women in particular and to critically question information and reality "rather than bowing before them." The program uses a rights framework to analyze the origins of sexist behavior, and rests on the assumption that economic and cultural oppression form the basis of sexism. Central to CMA's work is a focus on the rights of women and responsibilities of men. CMA is part of a broader social movement to foster a consciousness among young men that can serve as the foundation of a campaign to challenge patriarchal socio-economic systems, and enhance the struggle for human rights and democracy in Nigeria. This presentation will share the story of CMA's evolution through exploring the methods and tools used by the project, and through documenting the significant challenges and lessons learned in developing this unique program for the creation of meaningful change in Nigerian society. Areas of focus will include CMA's work on violence against women and the responsibilities of men, the state and other authorities; cultural impediments to gender equality; sexual and reproductive health and rights; and anti-sexist approaches to learning about Nigerian and World history.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to
Keywords: Adolescents, International, Social Activism
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.