Understanding Funding for Gender Justice Work with Men and Boys

• In Event: 128 - Section on Human Rights Paper Session. Human Rights and the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals Agenda (co-sponsored with Section on Sociology of Development)

Abstract

Many scholars still consider the global development discourse to be taking place within the Gender and Development (GAD) framework, but some evidence suggests that the pendulum may be swinging beyond GAD to a “Men and Development” (MAD) paradigm. Despite political and practical criticisms of work with men and boys, the work continues to be funded and, some claim, the funding for men and boys is consistently taking a larger and larger portion of development funding for gender equality work. Is it true that the proportion of overall development funding for gender equality that goes to men and boys is growing? And, how can we explain the persistence of funding for this work despite the criticisms it faces? This paper answers the first question, at least insofar as it is true for the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women (UNTF) by tracking both the number, and monetary value of UNTF grants that specifically target men and boys over 12 grant cycles (2001-2013). This paper then empirically considers three potential driving forces behind the decision to fund this work with men and boys: state interest, norms change, and organizational micro-processes.

Author

• Cliff Leek, State University of New York-Stony Brook