Il faudrait davantage de structures d'aide pour les hommes
Anne-Sophie Rihm
Photo: Shutterstock
Si de nombreux services et structures sont offerts aux femmes en difficulté, la gent masculine, elle, ne peut pas en dire autant. Peut-être la faute à certains stéréotypes, comme le relève une étude réalisée par trois experts allemands pour le compte du ministère de l'Egalité des chances luxembourgeois.
Selon cet inventaire, il existe au Grand-Duché quarante organismes et projets qui offrent consultations et assistance aux adolescents et aux hommes. Mais une meilleure coordination entre ces services s'impose.
Famille et vie de couple, sexualité, violence, dépendance, pression et stress au travail ou encore problèmes financiers ou de santé: telles sont les difficultés que rencontrent les hommes.
Une conférence le 18-19 novembre (Journée internationale de l'homme)
Et pour les résoudre, ils ne savent bien souvent ni où ni à qui s'adresser. Une stratégie globale doit donc être envisagée à l'intention des adolescents de sexe masculin et des hommes.
En attendant, la discussion est ouverte, et notamment lors d'une conférence qui se tiendra le 18-19 novembre de 14 à 18 heures à l'hôtel Melia à Luxembourg sur les défis des adolescents et des hommes dans la société, la politique et l'économie.
Boys don't cry? Addressing male stereotypes and gender roles forms a part of boy's and men's social services.
(CS) Luxembourg does not offer enough social services dedicated to boys and men, a study commissioned by the ministry of equal opportunities finds.
While around 40 institutions and organisations in Luxembourg offer counseling and helpline services for men and boys especially, more than initially expected, many lack sufficient know-how and support.
At a presentation of the study minister for equal opportunities Françoise Hetto-Gaasch said that services dedicated to men and boys were new territory, and that the study was commissioned to find out more about already existing offers in order see where improvements can be made.
The topics included in the study covered issues of family, relationships, education and career, drugs, violence, and more.
More connections between existing services and a consultation office where men and boys can direct their questions, as well as dedicated training for staff were two of the main ideas to emerge from the study. Precise plans on how to proceed from the results of the study have not yet been made.
Beate Stoff from Plan B who helped create the study, highlighted the importance not to limit men to problem areas, such as violence or poorer education results, but to also create services dedicated to family and to find a positive approach to the issue.
The Luxembourg Initativ fir Jongen a Männer, an initiative for boys and men, also helped create the study and hopes to play a role in the future developments brought forward by the study.
While critics might voice concerns that services for the equality of women, especially in the job market, are more pressing than men's initiatives, Hetto-Gaasch pointed out that all of these issues are inter-connected and need to be addressed as a whole.
Stoff added, that the idea of equal opportunities for all should prevail. While this might mean giving special importance to the job market where women remain underrepresented, it also means raising awareness for men's health issues, a problem little tackled so far.
A conference on November 18, in conjunction with International Men's Day on November 19, will explore the challenges and opportunities of boys and men's services in society, politics and the economy, marking another step toward a more concise plan for future developments.
