The Power of Options: Empowering Men and Boys in SRHR
By Jude Thaddues Njikem, SRHR Specialist at Sonke Gender Justice
Sonke Safeguarding/SEAH capacity strengthening sessions in Malawi and Uganda
Sonke conducted Safeguarding/SEAH (Sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment) capacity strengthening sessions with each of the Power To Youth partners in Malawi from the 22-26 May 2023, and Uganda from 17-21 April 2023. Sonke visited each organisation and held separate sessions with staff from each of the individual organizations and then 2 collective sessions (one in […]
Strengthening male engagement in HIV prevention, treatment, and care: Successes in eSwatini and Kenya
In a concerted effort to address the challenges and seize the opportunities related to male engagement in HIV prevention, treatment, and care, a three-day country engagement workshop was recently held in eSwatini and Kenya. The workshops, facilitated by Sonke Gender Justice’s Jude Thaddues Njikem and Fredalene Booysen brought together stakeholders from civil society organizations, government […]
MenEngage Africa annual general meeting
MenEngage(MEA), Sonke Gender Justice, and MenEngage Rwanda hosted the 2023 MEA Annual General Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, virtually from June 1st to 2nd, 2023, as part of MenEngage Africa’s (MEA) governance requirements, with MEA delegates from 24 countries in attendance. This year’s meeting was an elective AGM, with a new regional steering committee elected. Countries […]
GEN-G community engagements – 5 to 9 June 2023
Generation Gender Uganda successfully organized a series of impactful community engagements in the regions of Namutumba and Iganga. These community engagements led by the Center for Health, Human Rights, and Development (CEHURD), served as a platform to foster dialogue, raise awareness, and advocate for gender justice and young people’s rights. Through interactive discussions with stakeholders, […]
Gender transformative approach linking and learning between Uganda and Malawi
Since 2020, Implementing partners under the Power to Youth program in Uganda and Malawi have applied Gender Transformative Approach, GTA in their work. According to Rutgers, GTA has six principles including using human rights as a basis for all interventions, analyzing and critically addressing power dynamics, harmful gender norms and values, gender, and diversity, focusing […]
Working with traditional leaders to combat Gender Based Violence.
MenEngage Namibia (MEN) facilitated a training with traditional leaders of the Kabbe Sub-Traditional court in the Zambezi Region from 13 and April 14, 2023, to empower male traditional leaders to address gender-based violence and promote gender equality in the Zambezi region. The training aimed to foster gender equality and eradicate the menace of GBV from […]
MenEngage Africa Alliance Symposium 2023 – call for abstracts
The Men Engage Africa Alliance (MEA) will be holding its 3rd Symposium from 14 to 16 August 2023. The symposium will be bringing over 200 participants including MEA members, civil society organizations, government agencies, strategic partners, private, academia and UN agencies, for a three-day symposium under the theme “Accountability and Transformation through gender-equitable evidence-based programming.” […]
A spotlight on intimate partner violence
Sonke Gender Justice in collaboration with Mosaic Training, Service & Healing Centre (Mosaic) hosted a two-day national stakeholder dialogue themed “From Policy to Accountability: Challenges and Opportunities in Addressing Intimate Partner Violence in South Africa” from the 20th to the 21st of April in Johannesburg. The forum brought together participants from various civil society organisations […]
Keep the promise and decriminalise sex work
In 2016, acting in his capacity as Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa launched the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) ‘National Sex Work Sector Plan 2016-2019’ and presented the leader of the Sex Work Sector, Ms Kholi Buthelezi, with a sunflower as a symbol of his solidarity to decriminalise sex work. Since then, the Asijiki Coalition […]
Sonke Gender Justice and MOSAIC Training host multi-stakeholder dialogue
In commemoration of the International Women’s Day, Sonke Gender Justice and MOSAIC Training, Service & Healing Centre (MOSAIC) hosted a multi-stakeholder dialogue under the theme; ‘From Policy to Accountability: Challenges and Opportunities in addressing Intimate Partner Violence’. The dialogue took place at Capital Melrose, Melrose North, Johannesburg on 08 March 2022. The dialogue explored state and […]
HIV Counselling and Testing Campaign (HTS)
In September and October, the RHR and Key Population teams carried out HIV Counselling and Testing Campaign (HTS) activities and health screenings at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). As part of the HTS campaign, Sonke also provided confidential health screening (including BP testing, sugar diabetes testing, TB screening, STI screening, and pregnancy testing). […]
Session on Gender Based Violence with Goodwood Prison’s male staff
Sonke facilitated a GBV session with approximately 70 male Goodwood Prison staffers on October 27, 2021 at their staff outing in Paarl. The focus of the session was on value clarification. The session was very interactive, and the entire team participated. A follow-up meeting was requested with both male and female staff at Goodwood Prison.
Virtual launch of State of South Africa’s Fathers report 2021
On November 19, 2021, Sonke Gender Justice, the Human Science Research Council (HSRC), and Stellenbosch University hosted a virtual launch of State of South Africa’s Fathers report 2021.
Youth Capacity Building Workshop and Conference on Gender Norms and FGM Advocacy
Our Youth gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to participate in a five-day capacity building workshop on Gender Norm and Female genital mutilation (FGM) Advocacy. The workshop was held from 27th September – 01 October 2021. The workshop’s aim is important to strengthen young people’s capacity on GTA to enable them to challenge harmful social and discriminatory […]
Gender Transformation Training for Traditional and Religious Leaders
Under the Global Spotlight Initiative, MenEngage Africa engaged Religious and Traditional Leaders for a Gender Transformation Training in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania in eliminating harmful practices such as FGM and child marriages, tackling toxic masculinity and promoting gender equality from 13th- 17th September 2021. We were honoured to be joined by Chief Theresa Kachindamoto, a […]
Annual General Meeting for MenEngage Youth
The Annual General Meeting for MenEngage Youth was held in Tanzanzia from the 7-8th of September in Tanzania and hosted all representatives from the MenEngage Youth countries. The youth gave updates on their country plans and key highlights and regional updates from the MenEngage Global were presented.
We mourn the loss of our colleague Khopotso Bodibe
It is with much sadness that Sonke communicates the loss of Khopotso Bodibe who passed away on Tuesday, July 27, 2021. Khopotso joined Sonke as a Communications Associate in Sonke’s Communications and Strategic Information Unit in 2015. In 2018, he was promoted to RPU – Media & Communications Specialist. Khopotso spent 10 years as a […]
Pregs Govender joins Sonke as a senior fellow!
We are excited to formally announce the Sonke Feminist Leadership Fellowship. Pregs Govender joins Sonke as a senior fellow from February 2021 for a 2-year period. The aim of the fellowship is to establish an Institute for Transformative Feminist Leadership (ITFL). The Institute will create a space for feminists to focus on transformative leadership and […]
The Politics of Care session 4: When Men Receive Care
This session concludes the Politics of Care series. Each session examines men’s engagement in different phases of a feminist ethic of care. This session will focus on men receiving care. We will share findings from related research and discuss the political positioning of responses to men’s vulnerabilities. Details Time: 3:00pm to 4:30pm Central Africa Time. […]
Symposium adresses gender inequalities in Madagascar
Today, more than ever, gender-based violence is at the heart of many debates around the world. Pro-feminist actions have woken up and are now affirming their commitment to the struggle for gender equality. With this in mind, MenEngage Madagascar held its first Symposium on December 04, 2020 at Panorama Andrainarivo, Antananarivo. The Symposium highlighted the […]
Dialogues with men & boys to end SGBV in Liberia
On September 23, 2020, MenEngage Liberia began conducting dialogues with men and boys as part of efforts to understand their perspectives on gender and masculinity, to clarify negative perceptions among them and to rally their involvement and support towards minimising – and ultimately – ending sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), especially rape, in Liberia. The […]
To be taken into account – youth need to consider themselves as true potential game changers
It’s International Youth Day on the 12th of August. Madagascar-based NGO Youth First, a member of MenEngage Africa Youth, reflects on the state of youth in 2020 as the world observes this annual commemoration in the two questions we posed below. QUESTION: The theme for this year’s International Youth Day is “Youth Engagement for Global […]
International Youth Day 2020
“Youth Engagement for Global Action” Background The International Youth Day (IYD), celebrated on 12th August each year, was established by the United Nations in 2000 as a means of raising awareness of issues affecting young people around the world. Each year the Secretary-General of the United Nations decides upon a theme for the Day on […]
