The Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, launched its BRAVE (Build your legacy, Reclaim manhood, Activate goals, Visualise success, and Execute fearlessly) Men’s Policy on Friday.The BRAVE Men’s Policy – Bridging the Gap: Positively Engaging Men and Boys in GBV Prevention, Healing, and Accountability is a new national framework aimed at involving men and boys in efforts to prevent gender-based violence (GBV) while promoting emotional well-being and personal responsibility.Positioned as a proactive and inclusive approach, the policy encourages men and boys to reflect on traditional gender norms and redefine concepts of manhood in ways that prioritise emotional intelligence, accountability, and community leadership. It seeks to shift the narrative by moving away from portrayals of men solely as perpetrators or at-risk individuals and instead highlights their potential role as positive agents of change.Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud with young men (Photo: MHSSS/ Facebook/ June 20, 2025)Beyond GBV prevention, the BRAVE programme promotes healing, legacy building, and the empowerment of men and boys. It does not seek to police masculinity, but rather expand it, allowing men and boys to redefine strength.Delivering the feature address at the launch was Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, who emphasised the relevance and importance of such a policy.“We see gender-based violence rearing its head again and again, and when it comes to the fore, lives are lost. We have seen the statistics. And, while we see that those statistics show that men are disproportionately the perpetrators of violence, equally so, we must understand the backstory to that.“And, that is why this is more than a policy. This is transformational. And, this is not just a national policy that remains as I have it here on paper. It has been carefully thought out and crafted to ensure that it’s comprehensive, it is inclusive… inclusive because, in the crafting of this policy, many many men from all walks of life would’ve been consulted and engaged to ensure what we have crafted appeals to men for every walk of life. What we have crafted would not only appeal to them, but empower them.”Minister Persaud further said, “What we are endeavouring to do is to change what we have known, what we have lived, what we would’ve experienced, and what we would see from time to time in the media or in living colour.“We cannot build a nation without men. And, we must recognise that men are equally important as women as we counter violence. We cannot see one without the other. We cannot see one as a problem and the other as a solution. We need to see both as solutions to an issue that has been embedded, not only nationally, but globally, in families and communities for eons.”The BRAVE Men’s policy is constructed around five interlinked objectives:1. Challenge Harmful Cultural Norms2. Foster Healing and Accountability3. Promote Inclusive Engagement4. Strengthen Institutional Responses5. Empower CommunitiesIt identifies two main age groups for targeted engagement; however others will not be excluded.1. Ages 16 – 24: Boys and young men in the formative stages of identity development and socialisation.2. Ages 25 – 35: Men navigating adulthood, relationships, fatherhood, and community roles.Within these age groups, the policy outlines five core categories of engagement:1. Men and Boys in General2. Boys and Young Men in Early Socialisation3. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Offenders4. Non-Violent IPV Offenders5. Proactive Male Allies and Potential Change AgentsThe post New policy launched to get more men, boys involved in prevention of gender-based violence appeared first on News Room Guyana.