Macho macho man : masculinity in Latin America and the quest for gender equality

Abstract

The thesis argues the gender and development (GAD) approach neglects a very important consideration, namely, that women's subordinated position in society cannot be solved solely through women, but rather must be done cohesively with both women and men acting as partners to attain gender equality. The common connection between Latin American men and machismo does not reflect the full breadth of male identities and impacts how men are engaged in the gender and development process. In order for GAD to remain viable, it needs to consider the experiences and voices of men. The thesis examines Program H in Brazil, Salud y Genero in Mexico, and Cantera and the Association of Men Against Violence in Nicaragua. The benefit of focusing on how to engage men, rather than to exclude them, is to identify and develop best practices for future efforts to increase the likelihood of achieving sustained gender equality.