MenEngage Africa Training Institute (MATI2022)
Transformative Feminist Leadership for Gender Equality for Social and Structural Drivers
In collaboration with Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) and Makerere University’s School of Women and Gender Studies, MenEngage Africa and Sonke Gender Justice organised the MenEngage Africa Training Institute (MATI) on Transformative Feminist Leadership for Women’s Rights. The training was held in Kampala, Uganda, from April 25th to April 30th, 2022.
About Transformative Feminist Leadership
Transformative feminist leadership is about challenging the existing power structures that have limited women and girls. It also takes into consideration the interests and points of view of the majority of the marginalized and poor in society most of whom are women while advancing social justice. What this then means is that all in society, including religious and traditional leaders, must exercise and advocate for social justice through the lens of transformative feminist principles. Feminist leaders should be able to influence and shape institutions and social norms for the realization of women’s rights and gender equality, and these institutions should be responsive to the needs of feminist leaders. Investigating and transforming power is therefore critical to the work of realizing transformative feminist leadership.
This training brought together three categories of persons (religious and cultural leaders, young feminist leaders and young men) to analyze inequitable power structures (both social and cultural) that undermine the dignity of all genders and limit the realization of gender equality (such as violence against women (VAW), gender-based violence (GBV), care work, and sexual health and reproductive health rights) and social justice.
