This is a 5-year project that has come together through the leadership of Boys to Men Tucson, Goodwill Youth Re-Engagement Centers of Southern Arizona, Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse, and the Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona through the support of the David and Lura Lovell Foundation and Vitalyst Health Foundation. The HIM Initiative aspires to amplify and expand the existing efforts to coordinate community responses to gender-based violence, and create positive and strengthening avenues of allyship for masculine identified youth and men.

Below are some of the identified community networks presented in the Community Readiness Assessment through which Dr. Stephanie Murphy shares the importance of cross-sector collaboration.

Cross-sector Collaboration: Tucson has a rich ecology of organizations from across sectors who are working at the intersections of violence prevention, feminist advocacy, public health, education, youth empowerment, and community development. There is demonstrable respect for leaders as well as a history of collaboration and coalitional work. Many of these organizations have limited staff and budgets and existing resources have not been sufficient enough to create sustainable collective change. At the same time, a future initiative requires substantial infrastructural support to facilitate consistent communication, collective impact, and coordinate multipronged efforts among collaborators.

Murphy, S. (2020).  Pima County Intergenerational Healthy Masculinity Initiative Community Readiness Assessment. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona, Southwest Institute for Research on Women.