'Educate men to reduce attacks against women'

The study, conducted by four United Nations organisations including the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN), United Nations Population Fund, UN Volunteers and the UN Development Programme, studied randomly selected sample groups in six countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka.

Emma Fulu, a research specialist who worked on the study, said researchers discovered that perpetrators of violence started early in life, suggesting that young adolescents should be targeted for gender education.

Men’s use of violence against women was most commonly motivated by a sense of sexual entitlement, the report stated, adding that many men believe they have the right to sex, regardless of consent. "In most sites, this was reported by 70-80 per cent of men who had raped. The second most frequently reported motivation was related to entertainment-seeking – [looking for] fun or [to escape] boredom – followed by anger or punishment. Although alcohol is often assumed to be a common trigger for violence perpetration, it was the least common trigger."

Another disturbing aspect of the findings is that the majority of men who perpetrated rape did not experience any legal consequences. Some 72-97 per cent of respondents in most study sites in the six countries said they did not experience any legal consequences for committing violence. "This reconfirms that impunity remains a major issue in the region, particularly for marital rape, which is the most common form of rape but is not criminalised in many countries," the report – the first ever to be conducted primarily on men – stated.

The report also discovered that while a large majority of men surveyed (84-89 per cent) stated that they support gender equality, when asked about specific norms related to family and household practices and women’s position in the household, their views were considerably more inequitable.

Fulu said violence is preventable and factors driving it can be changed, adding that there’s a sign of hope in that these conditions are not inevitable. "There’s a lot of men who don’t use violence and stand up for gender equality."

Nevertheless, the studies made seven recommendations including changes in social norms related to acceptability of violence and the subordination of women, promotion of sexual equality, and promotion of non-violent masculinity.

Narratives of masculinity that justify and celebrate male strength, the use of violence and men’s control over women and heterosexual performancemust be addressed, the report stated, adding that sustained school-based, sport-based or peer-to-peer interventions that promote life skills and support healthy and caring ways to "be a man" can help.