Description
Attempts to transform patriarchal masculinities are well established in Fiji. From the United Nations to women’s groups and religious organisations, a wide range of actors have developed programs to engage men in gender equality or challenge men’s patriarchal practices. These programs have come to cover a wide range of topics, from sexual violence to substance abuse and housework. Despite this, programming remains silent on a range of notable subjects, in particular on militarism, ethnicity, sexuality and gender identity. This paper aims to explore how these actors involved in these programs navigate sensitive subjects through strategic silences. Drawing on interviews with pro-feminist men, women’s rights activists, religious organisations, LGBTQI+ groups and international development agencies the paper explores the politics of these silences. Attempting to move beyond silence as a simple signifier of oppression (Guillaume 2018; Parpart & Parashar 2019) the paper explores the political opportunities as well as the limitations that these strategic silences present.
