We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Delphine Brun a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Delphine, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Since the start of my career, I’ve been working on gender equality, primary in fragile contexts affected by armed conflicts. I am trying to bring my contribution to a future where girls and boys, women and men and other genders could live without fear of violence and without discrimination. This choice of profession very much draws back to my childhood and to the values that were important to my family. I received passion for social justice as a heritage: My parents were communists, with a strong political and social engagement in favor of the most excluded fringe of the society, including migrants and unemployed people. Discussions about poverty, racism and other forms of inequality were a recurrent discussion at the dinner table.
As a young woman, I realized that gender inequalities were a specific form of discrimination that would not disappear if there was a revolution and that social classes were abolished. I could see that this was the most widespread and yet invisible form of discrimination, in the home, in the street and, at the workplace. For example, I could see that I didn’t have the same freedom of movement than men. Public spheres, including streets or places to socialize, were, after it gets dark, places monopolized by men: Every woman has internalized the fact that moving around alone at night comes with the risk of being harassed or even attacked. I was also appalled by the scale of violence perpetrated against women, particularly domestic violence.
I decided to dedicate my career to gender equality. As I had observed, with my parents, the limitations of activism done at the margin of one’s professional life, I wanted to make it a full- time job. This wasn’t easy as working for gender equality is not a profession as such. At first, it meant regularly being unemployed but, as my experience grew, it became easier. It allowed me to embrace different issues at both national and global levels.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My work on gender equality has brought me to different cultural contexts, where social expectations about what it means to be a woman or a man are understood in a variety of ways. Roles and relations between women and men and women’s leverage to have a voice that counts and exercise their rights were for instance very different in Yemen, Indonesia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal or in Cameroon where I am now. Despite these variations, discrimination against women and girls is a universal reality.
A key driver for me has been to make visible forms inequalities that remain largely ignored. Quite often, humanitarian actors focus on gender-based violence, a manifestation of the entrenched discrimination women and girls face. I’ve shed light on the fact that, when there is a high prevalence of violence against women and girls, it means that the female population is socially perceived as having less value, enjoys less rights and faces multiple forms of disadvantages. In Congo, I helped organizations connect these dots and acknowledge the scale of inequalities that were taking place. Humanitarian staff supporting projects in agriculture realized that, women were carrying out the bulk of the work but had no control over the benefits of the family’s production. It helped them see that domestic violence can’t be prevented if we don’t also act on women’s economic marginalization.
I am also convinced that rigid gender norms take their toll on men and boys too. In many countries, men are expected to be the breadwinners and protectors. Yet, in countries plunged by poverty and where there are armed conflicts, playing such a role is a chimera. Men are taking important risks to stick to that role, which partly explains why some of them take enormous risks to migrate to the northern hemisphere, in the hope of better tomorrows. Being a man or a boy also means being more exposed to targeted armed attacks, with greater risks of injury or death directly related to the conflict.
I’m convinced that not assisting men and boys, when affected, has a myriad of direct and indirect effects on women and on the entire society. When men are affected, women are the direct or indirect victims. For instance, when men are killed, arrested, or forced into exile, women face greater burdens and responsibilities, with more frontline activities that place women’s own safety at risk. This is the message I’ve been emphasizing in my report “A more generous embrace” that focuses on the situation of men and adolescent boys in the South West and North West regions of Cameroon.
I have also been raising attention to the fact that all those affected by humanitarian crises should enjoy equal rights and dignity, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons. But, as homosexuality remains illegal in many countries and as homophobia is rampant, it has often been really difficult to change humanitarian actors’ mind and for them to accept that these particularly discriminated groups should equally access protection services and assistance.
I’m passionate about bringing these evidence to the surface. I want to bring a better understanding of how the lives of men, women, girls, boys and other genders interact and how their needs and realities affect each other. I’m committed to calling for a humanitarian response based on facts, not assumptions.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
My curiosity to understand cultural beliefs and social, norms, and to see how such dynamics shape distinct roles and affect the rights and protection of different groups in society, was important tobroaden my skills on gender and inclusion.
My personal convictions were also key in bringing my message forward despite the challenges I faced. For instance, each time I researched on the situation of men and boys and advocated for greater attention to how they are affected, I faced resistances from feminists and from organizations concerned about a possible backlash from the authorities. I had to be patient, developing a a strong argumentation and negotiating step by step. I felt that my message was more important than the fears that were being expressed. This is what helped me to be perseverant.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
Working for greater equality means challenging at times entrenched beliefs about how a society should function. The humanitarian community seems at times to be functioning in autopilot, its approach being led by habits, risk aversion, preconceptions about who is most affected, condescending views of affected people, assumptions about what will attract funding, etc. Fortunately, change is also possible, particularly with professionals who are not ensnared in politics and mandates and who are not blinded by ideology. Over the years, I have been forging precious alliances with such individuals who have often become personal friends. The fact of brainstorming with them about how to overcome resistances and about best ways to advocate on issues that are dear to my heart has been very helpful. I learnt a lot from their insight and advice.
Contact Info:
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/delphine-brun-282132102
Link to the report “A more generous embrace: Why addressing the needs of adolescent boys and men is essential to an effective humanitarian response in Cameroon’s North West and South West is essential to an effective humanitarian response in Cameroon’s North West and South West”
https://www.wilpf.org/mmffp_documents/a-more-generous-embrace/
Image Credits
Delphine Brun Rackel Messe a Bidias
