In Madagascar, young people rarely have the opportunity to discuss topics such as toxic masculinity, violence or gender inequality, topics that society still considers sensitive, even taboo. Faced with this situation, Youth First wanted to create a safe place for them to express themselves freely about gender issues. Thus, the idea of using art to create a real connection with young people – and to challenge the status quo – came to the Youth First team.
With this conviction, the team went to Andoharanofotsy High School, a high school in the capital, to organize an artistic and participatory activity celebrating positive masculinity – a few days before International Men’s Day. “What do you think it means to be a boy?”, “Are boy and girl equal?”. These were the subjects launched at the same time as the young people were having fun painting a mural on the high school wall with the collaboration of a local artist-painter – Naty Kaly. Although some of the responses highlighted how masculinity and femininity are still traditionally shaped in the minds of the youth (the man seen as the breadwinner while the woman takes care of the household), our team was able to train the youth to self-reflect on their experiences of gender stereotypes in their families, at school, and to present them with different perspectives. At the end of the activity, the young people insisted on inscribing on the mural – whose realization was inspired by the slam produced by Conan, a Malagasy artist, for the occasion – their commitments: “Izaho dia manao fanamby fa handray andraikitra manoloana ny herisetra” (“I pledge to take responsibility regarding the different forms of gender-based violence”).