Zubair Qureshi
Ambassador of Sweden, Henrik Persson has urged men of all age groups—boys, young men and grownups—in their respective roles as husbands, sons, brothers, friends, and co-workers to discuss and share their ideas and problems among themselves not only for their solution but also for a positive change in attitude. This will also lead to the desired goal of gender equality in society, he said.
The Swedish ambassador was addressing the launching ceremony of an exciting initiative ‘Guy Talk’ unveiled by the Swedish Embassy in collaboration with Olomopolo media, UN Women, ROZAN, and Dastak at a local hotel.
This initiative aims to engage the Pakistani men in conversations on topics which are rarely talked about such as societal expectations and norms of how to be a ‘real man.’
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, Rozan’s Babar Bashir, Aamir Ahsan Khan from Ericsson Pakistan, and actor Shehzad Ghias also participated in the panel discussion that followed the launch.
Ambassador Persson was all praise for the Swedish embassy’s team and partners for a unique initiative that has provided menfolk a platform to discuss issues like depression, job problems, taboos and many such which they otherwise prefer to keep mum about.
The initiative features a website guytalkpakistan.com developed by Dastak Foundation, with conversation guides, covering topics such as fatherhood, vulnerability, and avoidance.
The guides are available in English and Urdu, and easily accessible to enable anyone to initiate a conversation, in their workplace, university, organization or among friends.
“We launched this here in Pakistan. And we have a fantastic group of partners, which I would like to recognize, because without the partners, we wouldn’t be able to pull this off,” said the ambassador.
By fostering conversations between men and encouraging self-reflection, the initiative strives to challenge and dismantle harmful gender stereotypes. The ambition with Guy Talk is to give men the chance to contribute to a more equal society by starting with themselves.
“We believe that involving men in the quest for gender equality is crucial,” said the ambassador adding, “Through Guy Talk, we aim to create a platform for Pakistani men to explore and challenge preconceived notions of masculinity, fostering a more inclusive and equal society for all.”
