Understanding Masculinities in Palestine: Results from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region

The International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) is the largest multi-country study of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa. Coordinated by Equimundo and UN Women, in collaboration with local research partners, the report takes a never-before-seen look at what it means to be a man in Palestine today. Exploring key issues at home and at work, in public and private life, the research confronts many of the stereotypes commonly associated with men in the region and highlights pathways to gender equality.

What does it mean to be a man in Palestine in 2017 and beyond – and what impact does masculinity have on the lives of women and girls, on men themselves, and for gender equality more broadly? To answer this question in Palestine, Equimundo and UN Women, with the Institute of Women’s Studies, Birzeit University, conducted qualitative research and surveyed 1,200 men and 1,199 women between the ages of 18 and 59, from Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.