A/HRC/38/24 social actors interested in promoting gender equality in Portuguese society. In Qatar, the National Human Rights Committee95 conducted a survey on citizens’ views on the civil, political, economic and social rights of women in society to identify strategic entry points for engaging men and boys.96 43. Many actors, including several United Nations entities, 97 adopted the methodology of the International Men and Gender Equality Survey,98 developed by Promundo and the International Centre for Research on Women, to collect data and to build an evidence base for policymaking. The Survey is a comprehensive, multi-country study on men’s realities, practices and attitudes with regard to gender norms, gender-equality policies, household dynamics, caregiving and fatherhood, intimate partner violence, sexual diversity and health and economic stress, among other topics. It includes both women and men as respondents. The outcome of the Survey informed national public policies, for example in Brazil, Chile and Croatia.99 44. Violence against children surveys have been used by the Together for Girls partnership, 100 a global public-private partnership against violence against children. The surveys collect nationally representative data on emotional, physical and sexual violence against girls and boys, as well as on the circumstances and perpetrators of violence, reporting and service use, and health and well-being outcomes. The process is led by a multisectoral task force of government ministries, civil society and Together for Girls partners, and the data informs long-term violence prevention and response policy and programme implementation, including through engaging men and boys. 101 IV. Conclusions and recommendations 45. Engaging men and boys is a critical element of strategies to dismantle patriarchy in order to achieve gender equality and eliminate gender-based violence against women and girls. Clearly, the transformation of beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of men and boys is necessary to achieve these goals. In order to be transformative, interventions that focus on men and boys must challenge unequal power relations and structures, based on the recognition of how patriarchy is privileging men and boys and oppressing women and girls. In the absence of these premises, there is a risk that initiatives to engage men and boys may preserve and reinforce gender inequality and patriarchal and discriminatory gender stereotypes. In the same vein, interventions focused on men and boys should be designed in consultation with women’s rights advocates to make sure their concerns and perspectives are considered. 46. Engaging men and boys as agents for achieving gender equality and eliminating gender-based violence must be based on a critical analysis of the privileges they enjoy as a result of discriminatory power structures, and re-engage them as allies and partners to support the human rights of women and girls and gender equality. In the process, the benefits for men and boys of such a transformation will also be realized, including more positive, non-violent, equal and inclusive gender relations based on full respect for the human rights and dignity of all. 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 See www.nhrc-qa.org. Submission by the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar. Including UN-Women, UNFPA and the United Nations Development Programme. See https://promundoglobal.org/programs/international-men-and-gender-equality-survey-images/. Submission by Promundo United States. Together for Girls is a partnership among national Governments, United Nations agencies and private sector organizations, working at the intersection of violence against children and violence against women, with special attention on sexual violence against girls. See https://www.togetherforgirls.org. Submission by Together for Girls. 15