Violence against women as a barrier to the effective realization of all human rights 2014, para. 63

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Paragraph text: From a pragmatic point of view, if men constitute the vast majority of perpetrators of violence against women, then engaging them in discussions, educating them to resist and reject the nature and consequences of hypermasculinity and misogyny and to overcome patterns of violence is an obvious step towards the elimination of violence against women. The feminist approach has commonly considered men as allies and targets of education in the quest for gender transformation. In recent years, many men's groups have moved from being targets of engagement and allies to being leaders of initiatives on gender equality, especially through the setting up of specialized men's organizations to engage men and boys. The logic of the shift in focus appears to be self-defeating because it empowers the group to which perpetrators belong - and which overwhelmingly continues to maintain economic, political and societal structures of power, privilege and opportunity - to offer protection from violence and discrimination. The Special Rapporteur is also concerned that the dominant voices on engaging men and boys, whether through reporting, United Nations meetings or connection with the wider public through the press and popular culture, belong to a very small group of men who are linked to the most prominent organizations associated with the "men and boys" agenda. This raises numerous questions, including in respect of legitimacy and accountability.

Body: Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences

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