Empowering Men as Allies in Preventing Gender-Based Violence

For too long, the burden of escaping gender-based violence (GBV) has fallen on women. Women are forced to leave unsafe situations and navigate complex support systems, often while raising children, living through trauma, and rebuilding their lives. Prevention efforts mirrored this pattern, centring women as the primary recipients of support while largely leaving the conditions that produce harm unaddressed.

The urgency to shift this approach is clear. In Canada, a woman or girl is killed in an act of gender-based violence every 48 hours. (Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, 2022) If we are serious about prevention, we need to rethink where and how we intervene, and who we involve.

At Mothers Matter Canada, that question led us to a population the sector overlooked: men. Rather than viewing men solely as perpetrators, we began examining the systems that perpetuate harmful gender norms, misogyny, and violence, and recognized a critical gap in mental health and parenting support for fathers.

In response, we developed Men Like Me, a peer-led family and gender-based violence prevention program designed to support fathers in building healthy mindsets, strengthening family relationships and embracing positive masculinities.

Part of the NWT Literacy team – Senay Hadgu, Men Like Me Facilitator, and Grayce Patino, At Home in Canada Coordinator, during our visit to Yellowknife in February 2026.

Meeting Men Where They Are

The question we hear most often from GBV researchers and program sites across Canada is: why would men join a GBV prevention program? It is a fair question.

The answer: we started with what they needed

Across six communities, Men Like Me participants came for varying reasons: to practice English, to navigate the settlement system, to help their children develop or to find community. Facilitators met men where they were, offering job referrals, settlement support, and child development information alongside the program curriculum.

What kept participants engaged was something deeper than the curriculum itself: the connections they formed with one another. Concepts such as equity, positive masculinity, and gender equality were woven into the curriculum as invitations to reflection and dialogue, giving participants space to engage meaningfully at their own pace. The entry point was practical. The staying power was trust.

Creating Space for Honest Conversations

Getting men in the room is only the beginning. We created conditions where men feel safe enough to be honest about their struggles, their relationships, and their beliefs about gender and power.

Men Like Me created a structured space for fathers to share their personal journeys without shame. Participants talked about their childhood experiences, their relationships with their own fathers, the weight of financial responsibility, and the emotional isolation of being unable to show vulnerability. For many, it was the first time they spoke openly about the pressures of being a man. Laughter filled the room, friendships were formed, and a sense of community grew.

One participant reflected:

When I took this program, I changed a lot of things in my mind. I thought I was doing fine… but this program helped me a lot.

Another spoke to the impact on family dynamics:

When you share, you solve problems. When you don’t share, it gets more difficult. It builds up.

When men feel seen and heard and not judged or instructed, they open up, and behaviour change becomes possible.

What the Evidence Shows

The results from the Men Like Me pilot reinforce the effectiveness of this approach. Across six sites, by the end of the program:

• 100% of participants reported improved relationship dynamics

• 100% spent quality time bonding with their partners and children

• Over 98% understood and embraced positive masculinity

• 99% actively engaged with other fathers for peer support

Beyond these outcomes, participants also reported increased confidence in navigating Canadian social norms and cultural differences. Peer networks extended beyond the program itself, supporting referrals from employment opportunities to housing.

Lessons for the Field

Men Like Me offers clear lessons for the broader field. Behaviour change happens when people feel safe, seen, and connected, and when they are treated with care, patience, and guidance.

Start with what men need. Trust is built through practical value. When men arrive looking for settlement support, employment connections, or simply community, meet them there. The GBV prevention work follows naturally once trust is established.

Create a structured space to form connections. Men rarely have environments that welcome vulnerability. Peer-led models that normalize emotional openness, without judgment or instruction, are the conditions under which real reflection and behaviour change become possible.

Invite honest conversations. Concepts like equity, positive masculinity, and shared responsibility land differently when offered as invitations to dialogue rather than as requirements participants must practice. Give men the space to arrive at new understandings on their own terms.

Design for community, not just individual change. With the evident improvements in relationship dynamics, men invite their peers to join the program. They held peers accountable. They changed how their families functioned. Programming that builds peer networks multiplies its own impact.

Mothers Matter Canada also recognized that this model's relevance extends to all men. All men can benefit from forming a healthy community. The pilot has demonstrated proof of concept, and the model is ready to scale.

Bring Men Like Me to Your Community

To bring Men Like Me to your community, please email info@mothersmatter.ca

Learn More About Men Like Me