Produced by the Refugee Law Project, this documentary explores "the hidden world of sexual and gender-based violence against men in the conflicts of the Great Lakes region." According to the producers, it is a movie about men, violence, and the inability of society to recognise or address male vulnerability in times of conflict. The movie is intended to raise as many questions as it gives answers in its quest for an honest examination of the gender stereotypes underlying mainstream approaches to sexual and gender based violence (SGBV).

The film considers sex-selective massacres, which target all the men in a particular town for extermination. It looks at policies, which intentionally or otherwise, undermine men’s traditional role as protectors and providers without allowing them alternative ways of expressing their masculinity. It considers one of the biggest taboos of all: the rape of men and boys. The producers say that the documentary was created to show how a one-sided approach to gender works to the detriment of all, including individuals seeking health-care, their families, and their communities.

Since it was launched in Kampala in June 2009, the film has been screened at a wide range of locations including at the World Bank in Washington, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, the Refugee Summer School in Oxford University, and at various conferences. It has been introduced into the curriculum of several masters courses, including at City University and the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, and used for internal discussion purposes by non-governmental organisations such as Christian Aid, and donors such as the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. In December 2009, the Human Sciences Research Council in Pretoria will screen Gender Against Men followed by a panel discussion which will be broadcast simultaneously in five regional centres in the country. Members of the Refugee Law Project (RLP) have found that the documentary helps to open up a wide range of conversations on what were previously regarded as taboo topics, and is working on training initiatives, as well as direct interventions with male survivors of sexual violence.

English

Refugee Law Project press release [PDF] on June 19, 2009.