Minnesota Men's Action Network

Sexual and Domestic Violence: Whose Problem Is It Anyway?

The federal Violence Against Women Act of 2005 states that “nearly 1/3 of American women report physical and sexual abuse by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives”. The U.S. Department of Justice indicates that “1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men reported experiencing an attempted or completed rape at some time in their lives”. The perpetrators of these assaults are almost always men. It is time for well meaning men to acknowledge that this is a male problem.

For the past 30 years, women have done courageous work running rape crisis centers, battered women’s agencies, 24 hour hotlines and safe houses. They have led the way in working with policy makers across the country to revise and reform the institutional responses to sexual violence, including assault and harassment, as well as reforming the public and private response to domestic violence-related crimes. They have advocated prevention approaches through community awareness and educational programs in multiple sectors of society. Some men have been involved in these efforts as advocates, concerned citizens, or community professionals. The vast majority of men, however, have been passive bystanders to the violence and the precursors to violence around them, while a staggering number of men have been beating and raping women and children. It is time for well meaning men to act!

The MN Men’s Action Network was initiated by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to build a public/private prevention effort that promotes male leadership. To this end, a collaborative effort between the MDH, Men As Peacemakers in Duluth and the Gender Violence Institute in Clearwater has been created to develop a network of men and male leaders involved in primary prevention practices. Current efforts are being supported by MDH, the Bush Foundation and the MN Department of Public Safety

Goals for 2008 - 2009

  • Organize a diverse network of 500 Minnesota men who will initiate local and statewide action to prevent sexual violence
  • Work with identified communities to develop local sexual violence prevention activities
  • Offer presentations, training, and organizational workshops throughout the state
  • Develop web based information, resource links, and statewide networking opportunities
  • Hold a state conference in the spring of 2009 to organize, educate, and activate MN men

Contact Us To Get Involved

There are multiple ways men can participate, depending on their available time and resources. To sign up on the web site go here. After filling in your contact data, click the "submit" button at the bottom of the page.

Send us the names and contact information of men or men´s groups who you think may be interested in participating in this effort. We will contact them and give them an opportunity to be involved.

Contact Chuck Derry or Frank Jewell for more information: