On International Men's Day, Ntale Eastmond, Programme Manager for Becoming a Man, talks about the pressures facing young men today, and the inspiring transformations he gets to witness when young men are supported.
Becoming a Man works in schools with 12-16-year-olds to create a safe and inspiring space for young men to come together and discuss the issues that affect their lives.
The programme supports young men to reach their full potential, make effective decisions about their lives, and embody the values and skills necessary to succeed and contribute to society.
Uncertain future
"The pressure to conform is one of the toughest things the young men we work with have to deal with," says Ntale. "They see that society rewards certain types of masculinity and they absorb the pressure to live up to that.
"The worlds that young men inhabit on social media reinforce this. These online worlds value notoriety and recognition, and we often see young men internalising this.
"Young men are also under pressure because they face an uncertain future. Young people are inheriting an unstable world, multiple ongoing global crises. It’s a future of decreased opportunity in a lot of ways, especially for those young men focused on the idea of being a provider for a household.
Toxic pressure
"This pressured environment feels more toxic now than when I was growing up and that’s linked to social media and celebrity culture. It sets young men in competition with each other, chasing views and likes and notoriety.
"I also think the range of acceptable varieties of masculinity has decreased. There seems to be fewer options, or a narrower range of what’s considered acceptable ways for how to represent yourself as a young man.
"I think life generally is a lot more intense nowadays. There’s a lack of psychological space just to be free and to be yourself without being judged.
Imagining new futures
"The biggest moment of transformation is usually in the first year the young men spend with the Becoming a Man programme. It’s a privilege to see them absorb new concepts, new possibilities and to internalise these. We encourage them to see this change in themselves and each other too.
"Over the course of the programme, the main change we see is that the young men mature. They take responsibility for their lives and their hopes and dreams. They are able to imagine new futures for themselves. Through this, their confidence grows. They become more grounded in a sense of authenticity and responsibility towards the people around them, especially towards women and girls. They become conscious of how they show up in the world and to other people.
"It’s incredibly energising and fulfilling to witness the growth and potential of these young men. But society is not serving young men in the way they need to be served. Supporting young people needs to become a priority."
