Malaysia
— Do men get `abused' by unrealistic social
expectations and roles as society changes? Yes, says
Men2Men founder and president Dr Rohana Ariffin.
And through this
fledgling non-governmental organisation, she wants to
provide men that helping hand, to assist them in
understanding their roles and responsibilities vis-a-vis
gender relations.
Rohana, a former
Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer in women's studies and
industrial relations, says the issue is broader than that
of gender relations, as it also requires understanding
the stereotypical roles, images and perceptions accorded
to men by society.
"We feel that men are
sometimes 'abused' by unrealistic social expectations.
There are also men marginalised by virtue of their sexual
orientation, be they homosexuals or transgenders. This
group is abused and victimised by some agencies in our
society.
