Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department took to mark International Men's Day on 19 November 2020.

FCDO recognises that men and boys, as well as women and girls, suffer from harmful social norms and violence. International Men's Day offers an opportunity to reflect on how outcomes for men and boys can be improved, as well as how men and boys can play a key role in advancing gender equality.

FCDO's policy and programmes look to support men and boys as survivors and victims of violence as well as responding to violence against women and girls. Last year we appointed male and female survivor champions to support our work on the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative. We work with whole communities to challenge the acceptability of violence and bring about social change. For example, in Pakistan we supported an intervention which achieved significant reductions in corporal punishment at school and peer violence for boys as well as girls.

Men and boys can also be powerful change agents in their communities and positive role models. Many of our Girls' Education Challenge projects include activities to target boys and engage them as champions of gender equality. For example, in Mozambique and Nepal, marginalised boys as well as girls will be trained in peer education, life and vocational skills, and business initiatives.