Causes and Consequences of Toxic Masculinity: Can HeForShe Be a Solution for Gender-Based Violence?

Abstract

Aggression and violent behavior are caused by the feeling that a man has to live up to society’s expectations of masculinity which is what makes a good man, and that a man ought to be physically fit, have a large penis, protect himself, and uphold the honor of his family and peers, remain true to his convictions, partake in male-oriented activities like behavior sports and drinking, be sexually virulent, and succeed in everything he sets out to do. In order to overcome these preconceived ideas, this article provided an alternative to inculcate positive masculinity which is the HeforShe approach that supports boys and men in achieving equality by opposing negative gender norms and practices. Individuals around the world are encouraged to come together as equal partners to develop a shared vision of a society that values gender equality and to put that vision into action by putting locally suitable solutions into place. Secondary data analysis was used as the data-gathering instrument. To select suitable studies, an inclusion and exclusion criterion was followed. Only peer-reviewed journals were used and web sources and articles from non-peer-reviewed journals were excluded.