Men need attention

 By SHIRLYN BELDEN

GREATER effort into addressing challenges men face to counter family violence in communities is required, an advocate says. 

Director of Aila Consulting Ltd (ACL) and behavioural change specialist Eddie Aila told a counselling seminar for men and boys yesterday that while the government and its partners were addressing women’s issues to combat family violence, greater efforts should be directed to men’s issues, including challenges they faced that were directly related to family violence. 

“ACL came up with this initiative because it noticed that a lot of investment and programmes were catering for women and women’s challenges on family violence. A lot of investment is put into programmes for women. But you can see that men are not being empowered. So from ACL’s point of view in terms of family violence, most times the men cause it, help is given to women and nothing is done for the men in terms of empowering and recognition,” he said. 

ACL  has been running seminars for men and boys in Port Moresby, with the objective of releasing inhibitions and understanding the inner self, learn how to influence and learn skills of patience, understanding and communication. 

Aila said the workshop was a strategic avenue ACL had developed to deal directly with issues. 

It aims to conduct workshops to empower men who are directly involved in family violence. 

He said ACL believed that the goal of ending family violence starts with empowering and recognising men.