Gender Day Workshops

• Masculinity and femininity
• Gender and body language
• Violence and gender
• Masculinity and militarism [men only workshop]

Masculinity and Femininity

We
will explore images of masculinity and femininity, we shall see how they are
connected to our biological sex, our gender identity, and our gender roles. We
will start from personal experience and then move onto structural, social and
political context.

Objective

To arise awareness, to listen and work in mixed groups and to develop
sensibility in connection to this issue.

Methodology

Work first with the whole group and then divide into male and female groups,
using movement, and silent discussions on posters.

Scenic play: gender and body language

Are
men and women standing, sitting, walking and talking differently? Where has
patriarchy left its traces in our bodies?

Objectives

In this workshop, we want to examine how the body language of men and women
differs and where there is a connection between patriarchy, power, and body
language.

Methodology

Scenic play is a method of working with group sculptures and exercises designed
to encourage empathy with others. The aim is to become aware of patterns of
behaviour and attitudes. Participants will realise their own patterns of
behaviour as well as trying to sympathise with strange and unknown attitudes.

Violence and Gender

This
workshop will open a discussion on how violence is related to gender. Are men
violent and women not...? or...?

Objectives

The aim of this workshop is to challenge prevailing pacifist models of
gender-related interpretations of violence.

Methodology

This workshop will start by exploring concepts of masculinity and femininity,
along with the controversial thesis "Men hate women; women hate men". Our
dialogue about violence in a gender context will include opportunities for
participants to share their own experiences. Suggestions of texts for further
reading will be offered.

Masculinity and Militarism: men only workshop

Masculinity
and militarism are very much intervowen. The struggle against militarism needs
to include the questioning of the values of masculinity. In this workshop we
will look how the values of militarism, nationalism and masculinity reinforce
each other, and how they both are modernised today.

Objectives

1. Does antimilitarism reflect the values of masculinity through concepts of
   the "nonviolent fighter" and a working style which denies the personal needs
   of activists.
2. Becoming aware of our problems and contradictions as antimilitarist men and
   trying to discuss how this can be integrated in our political work.

Methodology

Short presentation, group discussion