Women's Perspectives on Men's Role in Addressing Violence Against Women: Insights from Lived Experience and Practice

This paper explores men's participation in efforts to address men's violence against women and minoritized genders, through the dual lens of women who have lived experience of domestic violence and/or abuse and that of practitioners working in domestic violence and/or abuse support or refuge services in England. Data substantiate the imperative of men's engagement in antiviolence against women and minoritized genders practice and activism while also surfacing the epistemological, practical, and political complexities it entails, especially when framed by “men listen to men” discourses. The paper argues that men's participation can disrupt victim-blaming discourses and promote men's increased responsibilization to achieve structural change. Crucially, the paper underscores the importance of consistently centering the lived experience epistemologies of victim–survivors.