Engaging Men and Boys

We are an Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) funded program at The Center for Hope and Healing, Inc. called Engaging Men and Boys (EMAB). Our mission is to involve men and boys in the movement to end sexual violence by encouraging healthy masculinity, fostering strong role models, and building male allies in the community.

For more information, please contact [email protected]

Many times men and boys around us say “Hey, I don’t rape, so I don’t need to do anything.” Not true! We need ALL men and boys to stand up, speak out, and be role models showing healthy forms of masculinity. Healthy masculinity promotes an environment where all genders are treated with respect and dignity, creating a foundation leading to equity and justice. Men are socialized to abide by attitudes and behaviors that are supposed to make them a “real man”; these rules, such as “boys don’t cry” and “man up” are often harmful and do not allow men to show up as their full selves.

BOS is a group of dedicated and passionate men in the Greater Lowell community that work towards encouraging healthy masculinity, providing mentorship, and empowering other men and boys to become active in their communities. They do this with the ultimate vision of ending gender-based violence in our community.

Join Brotherhood of Strength mailing list: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UT1gcXc_5gQsvp8_Y88cd6gvlBzK2B0Cb8oPCVKifAE/edi

We believe that barbershops have always been and have the power and influence to be cornerstones for our communities through the conversations with their patrons. Buzz4 Safety works with barbers to explore and unlearn harmful jokes, norms and behaviors around masculinity and equips them to become community role models in ending gender based and sexual violence. 

Buzz4Safety dialogues cover a range of topics including healthy masculinity, toxic masculinity, socialization, intersectionality, dominant & counter stories and more. We offer a generous stipend for those who participate in the program and attend trainings. 

Please reach out to Bo Armstrong at [email protected] for any questions, further information, or to get involved.