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The Documentary: What Men Think: What Men Think: India

What Men Think: India

28/04/2018 GMT

What Men Think

BBC World Service - The Documentary, What Men Think, What Men Think: India

Masculinity plays out against a backdrop of class, caste and a rapidly changing economy

In this Indian city, masculinity plays out against a backdrop of class, caste and a rapidly changing economy

In Delhi, Tim Samuels finds an Indian city where masculinity plays out against a backdrop of class, caste and a rapidly changing economy. It is also a country that is searching its soul after a serious of notorious sexual assaults against women. Swati Maliwal from the Delhi Commission for Women reveals how she does not feel safe in her city - where there are six rapes in the capital every day. Meanwhile, a group of men tell Tim how they have faced hardships due to false dowry accusations and a divorce lawyer discloses that the courts are saddled with 50 cases of divorce every day.

Image: Sanju (with friends), is one of the men featured in the programme. He was a child worker making electric switches and has had "100 odd jobs since then". He now drives a battery operated free wheeler. Credit: Reduced Listening

The Documentary: What Men Think

What’s life truly like for men in these confusing times? Tim Samuels explores an unlikely crisis.

Men might still the dominant gender – but for a lot of individual men these are troubling and confusing times. To see what’s really going on in men’s lives and minds, award-winning journalist and author Tim Samuels goes in search of modern masculinity in three very different cultures. He finds that the old certainties have been battered by job security collapsing, rising inequality and waves of feminism and political correctness. Across the world, men are way more likely to take their own lives, end up in jail or on the streets, or do something self-destructive or violent. Being a man is no longer straightforward.
 
In Lagos, the sprawling capital of Nigeria, Tim heads to a city that some describe as ‘the best place to be a man’; the ultimate playground for playboys. But is this only for the super-wealthy of the city? At the other end of the economic spectrum, he speaks to men who feel emasculated by their lack of work – and heads to an area that’s the world’s biggest floating slum. There a local fisherman regrets taking on his third wife, whilst the chief reveals the unusual punishment that is given to men who cheat on their wives. Tim also delves into areas that have traditionally been taboo for Nigerian men: homosexuality; and mental health. A gay designer describes how he keeps his sexuality under wraps – to avoid potential jail time – and a doctor reveals that men are finally starting to admit to having mental health issues. Throughout, Tim meets Nigerian women to get their perspective on how men are changing (or not). One female journalist reveals the perils – and prayers of her mothers – of the local dating scene.

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