The Men's Project:
Men's Issues in Northern Ireland

"Men's Issues" are rarely treated seriously in our society. At best, they are seen as a fringe activity for "weirdos". At worst, they are feared as an anti-women development. Yet, neither of these should be true. Real equality requires complementary development between men and women based upon mutual respect and understanding.

Men are not an homogenous group with identical needs; yet they are often treated as such. Support service providers mostly ignore them. After all, men rarely ask for assistance and many people still believe that they have it all their own way to start with! Indeed, even when programmes are initiated for men they tend to be problem-led and to seek a "quick fix". Few are spurred by a desire to be supportive and visionary. Subsequently, local men are seriously at risk of becoming socially excluded.

The Men's Project has contacted a broad range of individuals and groups who have an interest in men's issues/work. These people often state that many men feel that:

• every aspect of their manhood has been castigated;
• society is anti-men;
• they are only associated with violence, abusiveness and hostility;
• they are struggling to cope with the conflicting demands of a rapidly changing world;
• they are branded as "winners" even when they may be "losers" or the victim;
• their expectations and behaviour are limited by society's norms;
• that they have no place ...