Scotland’s first ‘positive masculinity’ programme launched

Scotland’s first positive masculinity programme is to launch on Thursday, with those behind the scheme hoping to “fill the current space that harmful influencers have stepped into”.

Imagine A Man, which has been produced by YouthLink Scotland, has been developed to promote positive masculinity as a way to give boys and young men a vision to believe in and a language to express themselves and their aspirations.

Those behind the scheme said it aimed to create a space where boys and young men can learn about empathy, caring, humour, and strength in a supportive environment.

Vicki Ridley, senior development officer at YouthLink Scotland, said: “Doing more for boys and young men does not require us to abandon our ideal of gender equality, rather, it extends it.

“We need to give boys and young men a version of feminism they can get behind, fill the current space that harmful influencers have stepped into, and make positive masculinity a ‘thing’.”

And Sue Brookes, director of strategy and stakeholder engagement at the Scottish Prison Service, said it was an “important step towards a more preventative approach which is designed in the longer term to contribute to reducing violence both in general and more specifically women and girls”.

“Reframing masculinity in a positive way is an inclusive approach which is designed to build on the progressive movement for greater equality for women, providing safe spaces to discuss what a positive Scottish man should aspire to be,” he said.

“Taking account of the gender specific developmental needs of boys in all aspects of policy and practice is a key part of improving outcomes for everyone.”

As part of the programme’s development youth groups in Dundee, Glasgow, and Shetland were asked what positive masulinity meant in their schools and communities.

YouthLink said all three areas found although boys and young men demonstrated a willingness to talk about their feelings, they found it difficult because of a lack of space or relevant people willing to create and facilitate the conversations.

There was also a lack of positive role models that boys and young men could identify with, said YouthLink.

Colin MacFarlane, national programme manager at YMCA and a former footballer, said: “Examine the evidence around men’s mental health, attainment levels and suicide rates and we can see that there is a crisis of masculinity.

“Men are far more likely to be both the victims and perpetrators of violent acts and have poorer physical and mental health than women and poorer overall outcomes.

“Whatever we’ve been doing isn’t working out for boys and young men. We need to try something different.”