Sonke Gender Justice

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  • MATI 2014

    MATI 2014

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    From the 24th of February to the 5th of March 2014, Sonke Gender Justice (Sonke), the MenEngage Africa Network (MEA), the Women’s Health and Research Unit at the University of Cape Town, Steps and Witness hosted the third MenEngage Africa Training Initiative (MATI) training entitled ‘Media, Film and Gender Advocacy Workshop’ in Cape Town, South Africa. The first two MATI training courses; ‘Masculinities, Leadership and Gender Justice’ brought together individuals from government, UN agencies and civil society to increase their capacity to lead gender justice programmes that engage men as partners and agents of change. These were hugely successful with over 800 applications for participation received for both overall. For its third iteration, Sonke and partners decided to adapt the programme in order to focus on other key influencers that tend to be overlooked in trainings and workshops designed to increase knowledge and skills on gender and human rights. Thus, in 2014, filmmakers were invited to learn more about gender, human rights and public health with a special focus on men’s roles and responsibilities in relation to these key areas, thus, breaking new ground for the MenEngage Africa Training Initiative.

    The main objective of the workshop was to facilitate the production of films for social change in the areas of gender justice, human rights and public health within the African continent in addition to increasing the skills and capacities of filmmakers working in the field of gender justice. A total of 26 amateur and professional filmmakers, media practitioners and activists from 12 African countries attended the workshop. Overall, participants found the workshop very useful. They received new information, the objectives were met and the workshop covered topics they wanted to know about.

    Modules

    Download the Modules from MATI 2014 here.

    Report

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  • MATI 2015

    MATI 2015

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    Intensive Course on Women’s Health, Empowerment and Masculinities: Advocacy and Leadership Training

    In September 2015, MenEngage Africa, Sonke Gender Justice and the University of California’s Centre of Expertise on Women’s Health Empowerment partnered together to offer the 2015 Women’s Health, Masculinities and Empowerment: Advocacy and Leadership Training course. The short course took place over two weeks from 1-16 September at Kenyatta University, in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, and it attracted 30 professionals, trainers and activists from the health, legal, research and human rights disciplines. Through interdisciplinary case studies and exercises, participants learned how to build women’s empowerment and gender norms transformation into health programmes and advocacy activities to maximise their effectiveness. All participants had a specific focus on advocating for improvements in women’s health, advancement and gender transformation. This slideshow captures and relives some of the course’s proceedings:

    Below are some of the training materials that the participants in the MATI 2015 training were taken through, including videos, presentations and literature:

    Presentations

    Instructors’ Profiles

    Participants’ Profiles

    Course Readers

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    Videos


    Davids Story

    Enough: The Story of David Olyn

    Sonke is working to make sure that the justice system responds fully to the brutal rape and murder of David Olyn, a gay man from Ceres.



    OMC-Bushbucksridge---King

    One Man Can in Bushbuckridge – King

    King’s story tells how One Man Can and the support of his friends helped him find new outlets for life and fun instead of drinking and living a risky lifestyle.



    MRS-X

    Why Did Mrs X Die?

    “Why Did Mrs X Die, Retold” is a short animated film telling the story of one unfortunate woman’s journey through pregnancy and childbirth. In doing so, the film paints an accurate picture of the dangers women are facing across the world, and our need …



    unstoppable-indians

    Unstoppable Indians: Sonagachi’s Union

    Sonagachi in North Kolkata is home to an estimated 12,000 sex workers. These women have organised themselves in a union to fight for their basic human rights and protect their future.



    Sonwabo

    Sonwabo

    (Xhosa with English subtitles) After his wife passed away, Sonwabo became a single parent. He soon noticed his own health declining, but he struggled with the thought of seeking medical care at the nearby clinic. When he decided to get help, he discove …


  • MATI 2016

    MATI 2016

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    While the importance of engaging men and boys in gender justice work has been widely recognised, most initiatives to engage them tend to be small-scale and short-term. In order to transform pervasive gender inequalities within Africa, a scaling-up and widening in scope of the programmes and models already known to be effective is imperative. The MenEngage Africa Training Initiative (MATI) provides an example of a programme designed to address this gap.

    The vision for MATI is to build a dynamic, vocal and visible network of leaders and gender justice advocates that will drive the gender equality and human rights agenda on the African continent. The first step towards realising this vision is through the implementation of training courses that provide cutting-edge and up-to-date information on gender, public health and human rights in order to expand the knowledge and skills of activists in Africa. Since 2012, four highly successful training courses have been implemented and more are planned to take place in other parts of the continent up until 2018. Thus far, a total of seventy-five men and women have been trained from over twenty African countries.

    To learn more about MATI, including the experiences of past participants, please read the MATI Overview Booklet.

    We cannot over-emphasise the value and impact of the course on your personal and work life. Some of the participants in last year’s training, “Women’s Health, Masculinities and Empowerment: Advocacy and Leadership” share how the course has changed their outlook on life as well as influenced their work for significantly better outcomes.

    Testimonials from MATI 2016:

    Florence Makgarapa

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    Florence Makgarapa manages gender equality, human rights and HIV & AIDS programmes for teh Alliance for a Healthier Generation in Francistown, Botswana.
    		 “Women’s Health, Empowerment and Masculinities: Policy Advocacy Training” – what an informative and eye-opening experience this was! The training was intense but worth it. As activists, we need to be informed, need new information and new experiences and that’s what I got from the training.

    The methodology used in training – the case studies, videos and exercises were very innovative. It made helped make understating much easier. The impact of the training cannot be overlooked. Following this training, I now appreciate the LGBTIQ community. That’s one area where I mostly learned new information and it changed my perception towards LGBTIQ people. Thanks to guest facilitator, Steve Letsike. She cleared all the misconceptions I had. Indeed, that was empowerment on my side.

    Meeting participants from all over Africa working in different projects, with different skills sets and areas of expertise was good for sharing experience that brings growth in our organisations, and the networking was very good.

    The training has helped us in programming our new project on men and boys in fighting HIV/AIDS and hope to attend more training in future for further growth.

    Thokozile Budaza

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    Thokozile Budaza is a rape activist based in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
    		 I am a rape activist based in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The Eastern Cape is mostly rural and this means that there is limited access to services, particularly those aimed at addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and the law. Rural areas are mostly governed by customary law, which is problematic for GBV. Patriarchy forms the back-bone of customary law. The police, who have little understanding of gender-based violence, often send women back home to “sort out” family issues within the family, resulting in years of abuse and, in some cases, death. It is hard working in this environment. The province has been in the headlines recently for the high number of rapes and killings of elderly women.

    There is a lot of work that needs to be done at different levels. It is important for government and law makers to send a strong message through policies and laws that these crimes will not be tolerated. It is also important for communities to come together and demand meaningful services from the police, clinics and the courts. Institutions such as the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Health (DoH) also need to be held accountable to extend their services to all communities including the deepest rural villages. Traditional leaders need to be engaged on GBV. Men and boys need to be part of the solution.

    Attending the Women’s Health, Empowerment and Masculinities Training, which was held in Gaborone, Botswana, in September 2016, has helped me understand the roles of all the different institutions and how to engage them. We got practical skills on engaging all the different levels. Many case studies from similar settings were shared by the facilitators, thus giving us concrete examples on strategies that we can use. It was refreshing that the strategies also included rural communities as many courses only talk to urban settings.

    Most importantly, the course highlighted for me the role of men in women’s health. I believe that you cannot deal with the problem if you do not understand the whole spectrum. We learned a lot about analysing programmes in terms of whether they are gender-transformative or not. The course participants brought a lot of energy into debates and discussions. This helped us a lot in synthesising our thoughts and opinions. It was helpful that the lecturers gave us the space to do just that. I believe that 50% of our learning came from these robust discussions.

    The lecturers and the guest lecturers were relevant and knowledgeable in their respective fields and left us wanting more. We did a lot of practical work which reinforced our learning. I would recommend the course to all GBV activists!

    Abongile Matyila

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    Abongile Matyila is a member of the research team at the Gay and Lesbian Network in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
    		 I was amongst the first few to step into the Botswana National Productivity Centre hostel, keen to settle before the course started the next day, Thursday September 1st 2016. The atmosphere and the landscape of Botswana reminded me of South African soil, a feeling I further qualified after meeting the coordinating team and members of staff. We continued to share conversations and laughs at the evening dinner table, showing much excitement and anticipation for the events to come.

    About 30 delegates from around the continent gathered for 14 days for the WMATI course on Women’s Health, Empowerment and Masculinities. Upon introductions, I chose the name ‘Savuka’ to signify coming into what I felt was a process of enlightenment, of learning and growing amongst gender activists in the cause towards social reform. It was a privilege to be afforded the opportunity to share a room with delegates who come from 10 countries around the continent, ranging from South Africa right up to Uganda. The course opened a platform of engagement on various gender issues from theoretical, research and practical perspectives. The platform seemed to show potential for unpacking gender issues, opening a space that promised awareness of struggles shared all across the African continent. It allowed us to engage on ways in which to advocate for change in our various contexts, and also share experiences to broaden our perspectives of issues affecting people on the ground.

    The course material undertook to explore various topics which illuminate the discourse on gender equality. Topics included the negative effects gender discrimination has on women’s health, as well as research done to understand the consequence of different changes in policy on the lived experience of men and women on the ground. One of my key concerns upon approaching the course was the element of culture as a construct of identity, yet often used to restrict and disempower people based on the gender ideals they carry. How do we approach having to deconstruct (gender) identity in order to make people aware of the issues that are caused by rigid gender norms and sexism? This question was interrogated during the various presentations dealing with advocacy and aligning stakeholders to movement building. It was suggested that direct work in communities would be required to get an understanding of people’s experiences, as well as sensitisation workshops that would educate victims and perpetrators of gender inequality and/or gender-based violence (GBV). Such presentations gave us a method from which to approach the work we do in our own contexts and reach the outcomes needed for affective change in our communities.

    In as much as gender was the central topic of engagement, we could not have done justice to the conversation without touching base on the contribution played by sexuality. The topic of sex and sexuality was amongst the highly favoured among participants, steering heated discussions around debunking and unpacking the ideas we have on sex based on politics, culture and religion. Tensions developed upon discussing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) issues as most were intrigued to learn more about LGBTIQ, while some minds seemed opposed to the notion of alternative sexualities and gender expressions altogether. Although we did not reach consensus on ways in which to incorporate LGBTIQ issues into the broader struggle and importance thereof, the conversation was concluded with most people having posed their questions with the opportunity to mull over the responses given by facilitators and participants alike.

    In as much as the personal is political, and activists engage politically to influence social change, the individual lives people live intersect far beyond concepts discussed in the boardroom. We were able to enjoy gender exercises that enacted different types of gender norms and masculinities for discussion. Men were able to depict behaviours of women, and women of men, which showed the fluidity and ever changing concept of gender. We were also afforded the chance to interact in social hangout spaces outside of the classroom, which included a lip-synching competition (won by yours truly) and a games night on the last night we shared together. It showed that although we are from different paths of life, we are still connected by the commonalities we share as human beings, be it striving for healthy relations, justice for those in need, or a good standard of living for individuals and our countries as a whole. We have faith that such platforms, including this one, afforded by organisations and funding bodies, will provide a broader and inclusive perspective of our struggles as Africans, and leave us critical and optimistic about our engagements in the fight for social justice and equality for all.

    Ncumisa Sopazi

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    Ncumisa Sopazi is a community mobiliser for Sonke Gender Justice in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg.
    		 I can still hear the voice of the course director, Paula Tavrow, in my head, saying “this is a very intensive course”, and I laugh alone all by myself all the time. Indeed, the training was intensive, but it was also very informative and educational course and I learned a lot from it.

    My highlights were the course articles that we had to read every night. Some of them really resonated with my work and personal experiences. They were very informative and they served well to prepare us participants for each next day’s sessions.

    Then there were the fun theatre activities which got me to test my acting skills and forced me to think on my feet and come up with a script within a limited time. This was very challenging. It challenged us to be creative and improvise to have a great outcome. Even though sometimes the activities would be dreadful, the team still managed to give our all because we were all committed to the training and willing to learn from the facilitators and other participants. The activities showed us the importance of using theatre to communicate daily challenges around gender inequalities and various other social ills.

    Each day we had facilitators and guest presenters teaching sharing very educative and enlightening presentations. The ones that resonated with me the most were on Understanding Human Sexuality, Policy Advocacy, Masculinities and Gender Continuum. These were things that I did not know about. Those that I was knowledgeable about were thoroughly explored and explained, which I am grateful for.

    Many of the presentations made us challenge our values and what we believe in. Even though I’ve always advocated for women, children and LGBTI people, this training released within me a renewed passion to fight for these communities as the struggle is not over yet.

    We were also taught about proposal writing and this was followed by a hands-on exercise where participants took part in a competition for a seed grant to fund a project of their choice. That was the most stressful time in the training and I felt under so much pressure. It was my first time ever to have to figure out how to write a proposal. I was surprised when my proposal made it to the top 10. Even though I did not get to be in the top five, I am satisfied with the opportunity I got to test my knowledge and skills and the feedback, thereof. These were helpful lessons that I believe will be of essential value in my work going forward.

    Charity Phiri

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    Charity Phiri is Gender Co-ordinator for Drug Fight Malawi.
    		 In an ideal world, everyone would like to be treated equal. However, in this world, you need to, at least, do something for you to be treated equal – and being a woman you also need to work extra hard as many conditions favour men than women. For example, young women and girls are often denied access to basic education. So, yes, you most often have to work hard towards that goal. This is one of the lessons I learnt from the WMATI 2016 course. I learned that there is a need to be more proactive and not reactive. The real world is a painful, brutal one and if you do not make the effort to chase after something proactively, then you cannot get anywhere in life. But I have also learned that being a woman does not limit anyone, everyone has the power to change things.

    These lessons come after I had, in 2014, studied for a post-graduate degree in Gender Equality with the University of Iceland and I have worked in the gender field since then. Upon attending the WMATI 2016 course, I thought I knew pretty much a lot about gender equality and all the dynamics around it. I remember on my first day in class looking through the course outline and thinking there was nothing new that I would learn from this. However, as the first few minutes went by, I realised there was a lot of new things I would learn about.

    The facilitators of the course were wonderful and the class was more exciting and encouraged participation more than any other class I have taken. What I liked the most is how in this class we learned through interaction with others and everyone’s input was valued equally. Having all those other participants from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya, Botswana, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Swaziland, Namibia and Uganda, I learned a lot about myself through learning about other people. The inclusion of theatre as a means to deliver messages made me look at the world and my personal surroundings in a completely different light. It widened my view of gender. While most people generally know me as the quietest person, doing theatre gave me a place where I am not as intimidated about speaking my mind as I am in many situations.

    Through studying this course, I learnt about the struggles women have had to go through and are still going through in life to become independent, educated, and so on. These are issues that we have probably always known and thought of as normal in the society. This made me realise the importance of being a feminist.

    Tinomuda Chakanyuka

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    Tinomuda Chakanyuka is employed as a senior news reporter at the Sunday News newspaper, a weekly publication from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
    		 I have been practicing as a journalist since 2008 and have thus gained considerable experience in the field and for the past six years I have been reporting on Gender and Health issues.

    My academic credentials include a Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies from the Institute of Commercial Management (ICM), a Bsc Honours Degree in Sociology and Gender Development Studies from the Women’s University in Africa, as well as a post-graduate Diploma in Media and Society Studies from the Midlands State University.

    I’m an arts, music and sports aficionado and during my spare time I pursue these as my hobbies.

    I write for a living and live to write. I believe in the power of the pen and the spoken word.

    The WMATI 2016 training programme was, to me, mind opening and intellectually nourishing. It broadened my horizons in as far as gender issues are concerned. I emerged wiser after a two-week interaction with gender activists of diverse backgrounds and varying experiences from across the African continent.

    The cross-pollination of ideas was enriching – not to mention the informative lectures, reading and activities engaged in during the course.

    Issues that captured my attention during the training programme and were a sure take-home after the course include; Public Policy and Advocacy, Gender Dynamics, Women’s Health and Empowerment and, most interestingly, Freire’s concepts.

    The course content was rich and helped demystify as well as clarify some of the misconceptions and prejudices I had prior to the course. I was left more enlightened, which is a plus to my work as a Gender and Health journalist. I can now report from a more informed position as well as interrogate issues a little more.

    Where I may have been pedestrian in my understanding, the course left me a pseudo-expert and gave me a foundation to build my stock of knowledge on matters Gender, Women’s Health and Masculinities.

    The facilitators were exceptional and proved to be experts in their respective fields. They were able to respond to queries of different shapes and sizes from participants.

    The WMATI 2016 course had an immediate impact on my personal life and gave me a starting point in my efforts to shrug off prejudices emanating from gender-insensitive cultural practices. In particular was the One Man Can initiative that to me appeared like a Damascus moment. Had the facilitators made an altar call after the course, I certainly would have been one of the converts.

    During the two-week training programme I was able to make new friends, create new contacts as well as broaden my networks. Creating contacts is an important aspect of my work as a journalist.

    The course gave me an insight into “Concept Note” writing, something that had been foreign to me prior. I was able to develop a concept note on a policy advocacy campaign for the abolishment of lobola. My concept note, titled “Lobola Must Fall: Towards Gender-Sensitive Marriage Customs in Africa”, focused on the linkages between gender-based violence (GBV), marital rape and the practice of lobola payment.

    My concept note made it to the top 10 and to me that was enough evidence I had learnt right – and from the best – during the course. When the concept note further made it to the top five, winning the Seed Grant competition I felt a sense of pride and satisfaction that, indeed, the training programme had been worthwhile.

    I feel a sense of compulsion to implement my project and push through all available means until cultural leaders revise such cultural practices as lobola to become more gender-sensitive.

    In conclusion, the WMATI 2016 course was a worthwhile engagement and I would not hesitate to recommend my colleagues to apply for the next edition of the course.

    Hassan Sekajoolo

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    Hassan Sekajoolo is the coordinator for MenEngage Uganda – a position he got just a few days to WMATI 2016.
    		 I was elated upon being nominated to travel to Botswana for the course. The news of my participation in WMATI 2016 reached me by telephone from my Programmes Director five days to the start of the course. I had to make a quick fix to my work assignments and delegate.

    I can’t help but thank you and my organisation for the great opportunity I got to be part of the course. That course has turned around my perspective of working with women.

    Back home I have already got an opportunity to share my newly acquired knowledge with two organisations at home – Set Her Free and Reproductive Health Uganda. I have done this through conducting a technical review of their health campaign proposals. Set Her Free is writing a proposal to work with victims of sexual violations while Reproductive Health Uganda is writing a proposal to mitigate the challenges faced by HIV-positive sex workers who are on ARVs in Kampala.

    Currently, I am putting together a policy advocacy brief to the board of directors at my organisation calling for a review of the Human Resource Policy to include more time for paternal leave. The course helped open up so many new ways of doing work and I am currently overwhelmed by the number of tasks I need to accomplish to integrate gender and working with men and boys in all our programmes.

    Recently, my country released a report on how far we have moved towards gender equality. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done by us gender justice advocates.

    Personally, I have been helped to redefine my relations with my wife. She keeps commenting: “You are a different kind of man”. This is because she notices that I am not a man who follows stereotypes anymore. She has also told me that I should never leave the area of women’s health because she says I am good at it. J

    From the course, I am very equipped and determined to work a lot with men and boys. I see a great opportunity there to fast-track achievements for gender equality. We are now having discussions with various organisations on how to celebrate the International Men’s Day on November 19th, 2016.

    The WMATI course was to me, a golden moment not even the Olympic gold and the golden World Cup football trophy can compare. Surah Al-Ma’idah [5:32] of Al-Qur’an states; “…And whoever saves one (soul) – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.” Top of FoBottom of FormWMATI was and remains, life-saving knowledge. The carefully integrated course on gender, women’s health and policy advocacy made a great deal to me as I kept doing analysis of most of our development challenges in families, but also as nations.

    Through this course, I also learned about the fears and lives of LGBTI populations and I now understand the misconceptions around this community. I have come to appreciate that justice needs to be done even if the majority of people can be supporting injustices.

    Finally, my eyes are now also open to the fact that parity in gender, justice and human rights in Africa is possible, but it will take a huge investment in public education, dialogue and debate to justify that religion and culture are not there to create injustices for humanity and where they do, each of us has to strive to do good to each other and forbid evil.

    Testimonials from MATI 2015:

    Linet Ongeri

    Linet-Ongeri
    Linet Ongeri is a doctor of psychiatry currently working at the Kenya Medical Research institute
    		 The Women’s Health, Masculinities and Empowerment – Advocacy and Leadership Training, held in Nairobi, Kenya, in September 2015 was a significant eye opener for me. As a female doctor that is living and working in sub-Saharan Africa, issues pertaining to gender and empowerment – specifically health issues – are very apparent in my day to day practice. Beyond this experience, I continue to appreciate the training because it systematically touched on key issues with an emphasis on advocacy – an area neglected in my medical training. The ability to vocalise the needs of women as well as possible approaches in tackling problems related to gender inequality is a fundamental key step to addressing gender disparities.

    In addition to advocacy, the training emphasised the role of men in gender inequality. In the past, masculinity issues were often neglected when addressing gender empowerment and inequalities. The course – through skits, lectures, film and field trips – was able to demonstrate the importance of this role. I am now convinced that interventions touching on gender issues must include a focus on masculinities and the role of men in order to improve their effectiveness. It is for this very same reason that I chose to centre my project write-up during the course work on providing masculinity training for recovering male alcohol and drug abusers.

    Elias Muindi

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    Elias Muindi is Project Officer of the Kenya MenEngage Alliance
    		 The MenEngage Africa Training Initiative training on Women’s Health, Advocacy and Empowerment opened my eyes to the reality of women’s issues. Indeed, there were things I thought were not important about women, but during and after the training, I realised that I needed to do something. Since I am a Christian and my church is near a slum area in Nairobi I spoke with my Bishop on starting a sanitary towels project for girls from the slums as this is a major problem that often keeps girls away from school as many of the girls in the community cannot afford to buy sanitary towels. The project aims to reduce absenteeism from school, to end the shame that accompanies menstruation due to a lack of sanitary towels and to build the girls’ self-esteem. The project started with 20 girls and now it has grown to more than 300 girls. It’s one of the activities I never thought of before I attended the training and I am happy that I’m involved in this. The training also gave me an opportunity to win a grant to do work with religious leaders to increase awareness of gender-based violence and harmful gender norms among religious leaders as well as build and strengthen their capacity to address intimate partner violence during pre-marital counselling. This is working very well since more than 20 religious leaders are in the programme and couples are undergoing counselling.

    The training really opened avenues for me. I was also recently involved in a Beyond Zero marathon with the Kenyan First Lady to raise funds to improve maternal and child health outcomes in the country. This enabled me to expand my networks with government, civil society organisations as well as corporates. The ‘Beyond Zero campaign’ is part of the initiatives outlined in the Strategic Framework for the engagement of the First Lady in HIV control and promotion of maternal, newborn and child health in Kenya that was unveiled on World AIDS Day 2013. The framework aims to galvanise high-level leadership in ending new HIV infections among children and reducing HIV related deaths among women and children in Kenya.

    Laurelle Mbaradza

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    Laurelle Mbaradza is Project Officer for the Diocese of Mutare Community Care Programme, Zimbabwe
    		 Before the course, I had done some work on gender, women’s empowerment and some advocacy work in the rural area where I work. I mainly focused on women and giving them knowledge on their rights. In most cases, these women just internalised the knowledge but did not act. But after the training, I realised a whole new meaning to women’s health and empowerment, leadership and advocacy. One thing that also struck me is the way all these dimensions are interlinked and how one cannot address each alone.

    I believe I am NOW AN EMPOWERED WOMAN, in knowledge and in will! As a result of knowledge from various schools of thought around women’s health and empowerment that I learnt in the course, I have started to take men as allies rather than enemies in the fight to empower women. I have an understanding of the roots of gender inequality and the progress made so far to attain women’s empowerment, including ways to sustain that change. The course took us through strategies such as male engagement and women’s economic strengthening in empowering women that I am now using in my day to day work. Not only have these strategies made it easy for men and women to get together and interact on gender equality issues, but they have made my work easier!

    The course exposed me to many people who are experts in different fields, which was a wonderful networking platform that is still alive to this day. Finally, the women who were the course tutors, the guest facilitators and others I read about during the course inspired me. They all seemed successful and gave evidence of how they have dedicated their lives to empower other women. Deep inside me something awakened and I told myself that I want to be one of those women!

    Masimba Nyamucheta

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    Masimba Nyamucheta is a Project Officer at the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV (ZNNP+)
    		 The training was both challenging and transformative at both the individual and professional levels. It has really changed the way l do HIV  programming, as now l realise that men and women play a critical role in addressing gender inequalities in society. At the individual level, the training has also completely changed my gender roles, a development that has further cemented the bond that I have with my spouse and kids.

    Mubuya Gladys

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    Mubuya Gladys is Project Coordinator of MenEngage DRC
    		 This course equipped me with knowledge on how to engage men and boys in promoting women’s and children’s health in our society. It has also helped improve MenEngage DRC’s programming for gender equality. I now have a great understanding of different aspects of negative masculinities and how they have contributed to my country’s under-development and how they contribute to conflict situations.

    In my personal life, this course has helped me take charge for the improvement of my own health and to identify how I can empower myself as a woman in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These are skills that I share with my fellow country women.

    Nyasha Sanie

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    Nyasha Sanie is Project Officer for Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
    		 I was one of the people who were fortunate enough to be part of the team that attended the 2015 Women’s Health, Masculinities, and Empowerment: Advocacy and Leadership Training (WMATI 2015). It was my first time to undergo such a training and I benefited immensely from being part of it. The topics covered during the training did not just improve and enhance my professional capacities, but they personally empowered and positively challenged my perspective on different issues.

    Currently my work involves working with key populations such as sex workers, LGBTIQ, youths and women and most of the WMATI presentations done during the 2015 training touched on these key populations. I benefited by gaining the latest information that has to do with women’s health and the possible programmes that can be implemented to promote good health for women.

    Currently, many organisations and funders of programmes are moving towards gender and how men and the youth can be part of the efforts to attain gender justice, contrary to previous interventions which targeted only women. In that regard, MenEngage Africa and Sonke did an amazing job in sharing how they have been doing their work and the strategies that they have employed in this endeavour. Some of these strategies I am trying to use in my work and they are already significantly changing the texture, quality and essence of my work. Not many organisations are doing male engagement programmes and this training allowed me to acquire skills to do so, and to do it effectively. The field visits done during the training were also of great importance as they helped me to fully understand and appreciate by coming face-to-face with mechanisms being used in terms of working with key populations who, in most cases, are people that society has marginalised and criminalised.

    Of importance to me too were the additional materials like videos and case studies which were then shared at the end of the training. Being a trainer at work, these are proving to be useful as I carry out my day to day work activities.

    Participating in the training, therefore, enhanced my skills in facilitating and in availing recent information in the field of development and women’s health.

    Emmanuel Manyati

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    Emmanuel Manyati is founder and Director of the Future Generations Trust in Zimbabwe
    		 Attending the 2015 Women’s Health, Masculinities and Empowerment Training was a turning point for me as a student of leadership in women’s empowerment issues. The all encompassing course worked as an eye opener and deepened my understanding of how oppression of women and girls can amount to negative life-threatening and traumatising consequences.

    I have also discovered that meaningful involvement of men and boys in empowering women and girls is one of the main effective strategies of ending violence against women, especially in rural areas where culture and tradition are at the epicentre of dehumanisation.

    As a young leader who works with young girls and women in marginalised and hard to reach rural areas, I have succeeded in applying innovative and cost-effective strategies of empowering women. Despite very scarce resources, my project, The Red Robot Campaign, has managed to reach 2 000 beneficiaries using only $35.

    I developed the Red Robot concept after attending the MATI training in Kenya.

    Crossing the red robot is one of the strictly prohibited traffic rules. All over the world people and vehicles have perished for crossing red robots. Child marriages in my community have amounted to serious negative social and economic repercussions to women and girls. Child birth caesarean operations, obstetric fistula and maternal deaths have been as a result of early and forced child marriages, especially in rural, marginalised and hard to reach areas in Zimbabwe. Marrying off under-age girls is a culture and pattern that today’s parents have resisted to shun. Fragmented parents-daughter communication on reproductive health rights has been exacerbated by a lack of information targeted at rural people about girls’ reproductive health and rights.

    Red Robot Campaign project seeks to educate young girls and parents on the practical dangers of early and forced child marriages using the illustration of crossing the red robot. Whether the girl child has entered into an early marriage voluntarily or by being forced, the consequence is just the same.

    This project, therefore, equates the devastating impact of crossing the red robot and early and forced child marriages. The Red Robot Campaign is targeting 20 000 girls between the ages of 10 and 18 as well as 4 000 parents in Mutoko and Mudzi districts.

    The project has so far reached 2 000 targeted beneficiaries in Mutoko wards 10, 11 and 20.

    Overview & Materials

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  • Parental Leave

    Parental Leave

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    Sonke’s MenCare campaign advocates for men’s involvement in unpaid care work and promotes gender equitable and non-violent fatherhood. Parental leave for fathers creates a valuable opportunity for fathers to do unpaid care work and to bond with their children. Child development research is clear on the fact that a child bonds with the adults that provide for their basic survival needs, in other words, the adults that care for them.

    When men get more involved in child-care work, children benefit by receiving more care, and mothers benefit by carrying less of the burden of care and having more opportunities for paid work. More than half of the children growing up in South Africa do so without a father present in the home.

    Research evidence from countries that offer paternity leave supports the intuitive idea that an emotional connection during infanthood would lead to long-term involvement in care, and that fathers would then take more responsibility for their children’s development.

  • MATI 2022

    MATI 2022

    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.

  • MenEngage Africa

    MenEngage Africa

    MenEngage is a global alliance of organisations who engage men and boys to achieve gender equality, promote health, reduce violence and to question and address the structural barriers to achieving gender equality.

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    The global alliance consists of six (6) regions co-ordinated by a regional Secretariat and governed by a regional steering committee, which elects one representative per region to the global board. Sonke is the Secretariat of MenEngage Africa (MEA), which consists of 22 country networks spread across East, West, Central and Southern Africa, which form the AGM – the highest decision making body of MEA consisting of over 350 non-governmental organisations at grass-root, national and regional levels.

    MEA members work collectively toward advancing gender justice, human rights and social justice in key thematic areas including Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), gender-based violence (GBV) & HIV prevention, Child Rights and Positive Parenting and in promoting peace on the continent.

    The members implement joint advocacy programmes at national level with their governments, regional level with Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and at international levels at various platforms on the MEA thematic areas.

    The alliance falls within the scope of Sonke’s Regional Programmes Unit, where staff within the unit work to support partner organisations across the 22 countries to implement work in the MEA campaign and thematic areas, build capacity for organisations to implement gender transformative work through community mobilisation and education, media and communications, policy advocacy and research.

    Sonke’s role is to provide technical support to the networks on communications, advocacy, movement building, research and knowledge management.

  • African Union & Regional Economic Communities

    African Union & Regional Economic Communities

    Sonke, on behalf of MenEngage Africa, has since 2012 been working on a Regional Bodies Policy Advocacy project and undertaken a range of activities to engage the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Africa, particularly the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC).

    Importance of regional policies

    Regional policies are central to the goal of increasing the scale and impact of work with men and boys to address gender inequalities. They compel Member States to take a series of actions at the national level, usually across multiple government departments, and offer the possibility of achieving substantial impact on a significant scale. Therefore, it is essential to build a shared policy agenda on engaging men and boys among regional bodies, in addition to civil society, national policymakers and international bodies.

    Regional bodies in Africa

    While the AU is a union comprising of 54 African states, RECs such as SADC and EAC are often described as the ‘building blocks’ of the AU. They are intergovernmental organizations working on issues such as trade, the environment and agriculture, and they facilitate and monitor the implementation of Member State commitments in each area, develop policies, tools and processes to support activities, and provide technical assistance. Human rights-related matters play a vital role within the RECs legal framework as the majority have implemented certain provisions in their mandate that have an impact on human rights and good governance.

    Regional Parliamentary Structures

    In order to support efforts by CSOs to engage with parliamentary structures linked to RECs, participate in their processes, and initiate collaborative activities with these structures, Sonke on behalf of MenEngage Africa has developed a report which provides a description of the workings of these structures.

    The RPAs described in this report include those of the African Union (AU); the Southern African Development Community (SADC); the East African Community (EAC); and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    Download the Regional Parliamentary Structures Report

    Media Advocacy

    Sonke’s Hanna Jansson, Bafana Khumalo and Tim Shand write in Genderlinks that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) must engage men for gender equality. Read more here.

    Regional Bodies Policy Reports

    As part of the Regional Bodies Policy Advocacy project, Sonke on behalf of MenEngage Africa is currently drafting three policy reports for the AU, SADC and EAC. These reports will look at the extent to which the policies of each of the regional bodies articulate the need to engage with men and boys for the promotion of gender equality. They will identify key strengths and gaps in selected policies related to gender, HIV/AIDS, GBV, SRHR, and provide recommendations for strengthening such policies.

    The aim for these reports is to be used as policy advocacy and programming tools in order to strengthen a focus on engaging men for gender equality within regional policies. Their key audiences will be national and regional civil society, policymakers and decision-makers.

    Watch this space for the launch of the policy reports!

  • Call for Action for the Post-2015 Development Agenda

    Call for Action for the Post-2015 Development Agenda

    To download the MenEngage Africa Post-2015 Call for Action, please click here.

    To download the NEW MenEngage Post-2015 tool, with suggested targets under a stand-alone gender equality goal, please click here.

    Background

    The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), established in 2000 and aiming to improve the life for the world’s poorest and the most vulnerable by the year 2015, have been a milestone in global and national development priorities. In the past 13 years, the world has seen great strides towards achieving the MDGs: global poverty continues to decline; more children (especially girls) than ever before are attending primary school; child deaths have dropped dramatically; and targeted efforts in fighting malaria, HIV and AIDS and tuberculosis have saved millions of lives.

    However, the prospects for achieving all of the eight MDGs differ severely across and within countries and regions, and bolder efforts are needed to achieve a world of prosperity, equity, freedom, dignity and peace beyond 2015. The international community has therefore initiated a process to start planning for a Post-2015 Development Agenda.

    One of the main outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) in 2012 was the agreement by Member States of the UN to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will build upon the MDGs. The process of developing these SDGs is supposed to be an inclusive and transparent intergovernmental process, open to all relevant stakeholders.

    The engagement of men as actors and allies in achieving gender equality often receives little mention in the development frameworks, particularly in the MDGs. Yet, a broad and growing base of evidence shows that effectively engaging men for gender equality can have significant benefits for women, children and men themselves. Work with men and boys is therefore integral to the new global Post-2015 Development Agenda, and in particular to maintaining the momentum on addressing gender inequalities, strengthening human rights, promoting women’s empowerment and leadership and improving the health and wellbeing of all.

    MenEngage Post-2015 Call to Action

    The MenEngage Global Alliance has developed a Call for Action that outlines its priority goals within the Post-2015 Development Agenda, as well as suggested indicators for inclusion in the measurement of the new SDGs. MenEngage Africa has further developed a more Africa focused version of this Call.

    The Call for Action can be used as a policy advocacy and programming tool to strengthen a focus on engaging men for gender equality within the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Its key audiences are local, national, regional and global civil society, policymakers, UN agencies, donors and other decision-makers.

    MenEngage believes in a strong focus on women and girls as part of the new SDGs and view the priorities and indicators it recommends on the SDG goals to be a complement, not a replacement, to current proposals by the African Union, UN WOMEN and other institutions.

    MenEngage has promoted the Call for Action at international conferences, such as the Clinton Global Initiative Annual meeting, and deliberations with UNFPA and UN WOMEN. In addition, MenEngage Africa has thus far promoted the Call for Action at the African Union’s First High Level Panel on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in the Context of Post MDGs (Abidjan, Ivory Coast, 2-4 October 2013).

    Download the MenEngage Africa Call for Action

    NEW: MenEngage suggested targets under a stand-alone goal on gender equality and women’s empowerment

    MenEngage stands with UN Women and women’s rights NGOs in advocating for a stand-alone goal on gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights must be a cross-cutting issue in all other future development goals.

    Within the stand-alone gender equality and women’s empowerment goal, MenEngage strongly recommends to include the following three critical targets, accompanied by suggested indicators of work with men and boys:

    1. Engage men and boys in preventing and responding to Gender Based Violence (GBV)
    2. Commit men and boys to equal share in caregiving and household work
    3. Engage men as supportive partners, clients and positive agents of change in sexual & reproductive health & rights and maternal, newborn & child health

    To read more, download the MenEngage Post-2015 tool with suggested targets under a stand-alone gender equality goal

    MenEngage Advisory Document: How to Influence the Development of the Post-2015 Development Agenda

    MenEngage has developed an advocacy tool that provides valuable information about the Post-2015 Development Agenda in order for MenEngage partners in all regions of the world to influence the process of developing this future development framework. With less than two years before the Post-2015 Development Agenda is agreed upon, MenEngage partners can play an important role by feeding into this process with the message that engaging men and boys in gender equality efforts is integral to the post-2015 Development Agenda.

    To learn more, download the NEW MenEngage Advisory Document: How to influence the development of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

  • Power to You(th)

    Power to You(th)

    Power to You(th) is a 5-year international partnership between consortium partners Amref Flying Doctors Netherlands (in collaboration with AMREF Health Africa), Rutgers and Sonke Gender Justice, technical partners Choice for Youth and Sexuality and the Dutch Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) and Country Management Teams in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Ghana, Senegal, and Indonesia. The programme is funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and focuses on eradication of harmful practices, such as Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and unintended pregnancies. The partnership believes change starts in communities. To trigger this change, Power to You(th) will strengthen civil society organisations (CSOs) to empower and increase the voice of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). The Consortium fosters ownership at the country level, with locally formed coalitions and representation of beneficiaries in our governance. The Power to You(th) Consortium will support AGYW to increase their agency, claim their rights, address gender inequalities, challenge gender norms and advocate for inclusive decision-making.

    The Power to You(th) partnership contributes to more adolescent girls and young women from underserved communities being meaningfully included in decision-making regarding harmful practices, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and unintended pregnancies. The programme has partners in Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, Uganda, South Africa and The Netherlands. The partnership aims to raise public support, advocate for improved policies and laws, and strengthen civil society to amplify young people’s voices to claim, protect and expand civic space. To do so, PtY engages an innovative gender-transformative strategy that equips youth leaders and civil society organisations (CSOs) to address the key issues. Next to a gender-transformative approach, the PtY partnership has fully embraced the principle of meaningful and inclusive youth participation. Our theory of change is based on four key outcomes:

    • Young people demand accountability and responsiveness on harmful practices, SGBV and unintended pregnancies
    • CSOs amplify young people’s voices to claim, protect and expand civic space.
    • Societal actors support and promote youth rights and progressive social norms.
    • State actors improve policymaking, budgeting and implementation at the local, national, regional and global levels on harmful practices, SGBV and unintended pregnancies.
  • MenEngage Africa Symposium

    MenEngage Africa Symposium

    Strengthening Capacity of Civil Society and Government to Work with Men and Boys on Gender-Based Violence and HIV.

    In partnership with Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), The Commonwealth Foundation, UNICEF ESARO Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa and the Ford Foundation
    5 – 9 October, 2009
    Turbine Hall, Johannesburg, South Africa

    With over 240 delegates representing 25 African countries attending the Symposium, the MenEngage Africa Symposium was a huge success. Delegates attended a range of panel discussions, participated in skills building sessions and developed detailed workplans for their regions and countries.

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    Gary Barker (ICRW) and Dean Peacock (Sonke) present at the MenEngage Africa Symposium in Johannesburg.

    Sonke Gender Justice is a South African NGO working with men and boys across Africa to promote gender transformation, human rights and social justice.

    MenEngage is a global alliance of NGOs and UN agencies that seeks to engage boys and men to achieve gender equality. Members include more than 400 NGOs from Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, Asia and Europe.

    Presentations:

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  • UN Trust Fund Project

    UN Trust Fund Project

    The UN Trust Fund project seeks to engage men to strengthen the implementation of GBV laws and policies and promote gender equality in Kenya, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. This project will be running over a period of 3 years from September 2011 until August 2014.

    The project will be implemented in Kenya (national and Nairobi, Nyanza and Western provinces), Rwanda (national and Kamonyi and Gakenke districts) and Sierra Leone (national and Koinadigu and Moyamba districts), and at a regional level. It is estimated that this project will reach 2,250,256 people (750,050 primary beneficiaries and 1,500,206 secondary beneficiaries). These estimates may be conservative as previous projects implemented by Sonke which contain in particular a social norms campaign have reached millions of people over a short period of time. The project will run for 3 years (September 2011 to August 2014).

    The vision of this project seeks to create societies within Sub-Saharan Africa in which men and boys challenge the culture of silence regarding violence against women and take an active role in working to end this violence, and where violence against women is no longer seen as a women’s issue exclusively; where it is seen rather, and rightly, as a gross human rights violation that concerns and affects every one of us.

    The overall goal of the project is to advocate for GBV laws and policies in Kenya, Rwanda and Sierra Leone, and in regional governance mechanisms, to include language intended to engage men and boys in GBV prevention, and to improve implementation of these existing GBV laws and policies. The project objectives include:

    1. strengthening the evidence-base on GBV laws and policies;
    2. building the capacity of civil society and government to advocate for the improved implementation of GBV laws and policies;
    3. advocacy at a national and regional level to improve the policy and legal agenda on addressing GBV, particularly strengthening the role of engaging men and boys in GBV prevention; and
    4. challenging social norms and the culture of silence regarding violence against women, particularly among men and boys.

    Some of the strategies include:

    • Law and Policy scan in Kenyan, Rwanda and Sierra Leone, and at the regional level
    • Policy Advocacy, including legal interventions
    • Capacity building at National and Local levels
    • Undertaking a social norms campaign and community mobilisation
    • Using evidence to inform activities, and developing the evidence-base for gender equality work Building on the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur to End Violence Against Women and other related UN processes
    • Partnerships, particularly with women’s rights organisations (this is elaborated upon in Section 8. Partnerships)

    It is important to note that, although the key focus of these strategies will be on GBV, the project will also address HIV, given the intersection between these two epidemics.

  • International Men and Gender Equality Study (IMAGES) in Zambia and Eastern DRC

    International Men and Gender Equality Study (IMAGES) in Zambia and Eastern DRC

    The United Nations has continuously called for engaging men and boys in gender equality. Measurement of progress on the Millennium Development Goals reveals that progress has been made in empowering women. However, progress in areas that require engaging men – reducing violence against women, increasing women’s income relative to men’s, and reducing inequalities related to the care burden – is left far behind.

    Sonke Gender Justice and MenEngage Africa, in collaboration with Instituto Promundo, will, with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), conduct an International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) in Zambia and the Eastern DRC.

    The purpose of the IMAGES study is to build understanding of men’s practices and attitudes related to gender equality in order to inform, drive and monitor both policy development and interventions to promote gender equality. The results of IMAGES are expected to be used:

    • To feed into future national and regional policy briefs and recommendations;
    • As a baseline for future interventions on gender equality, particularly those engaging men and boys, by MenEngage Africa, its partners and other interested organisations;
    • To support the work of UN agencies and other Non-Governmental Organisations within Zambia and across the region.

    The in-country lead researcher or organisation is in the process of being identified. The survey will also be undertaken in collaboration with Instituto Promundo and the Zambia National Women’s League Men’s Network. Overall coordination and support will be undertaken by Sonke Gender Justice, South Africa.

    As advisory group with national partners will also provide input to the process.

    About the IMAGES study

    Originally developed by Instituto Promundo and the International Center for Research on Women, IMAGES is a quantitative and anonymous household survey which has been previously conducted in seven countries on different continents (including Rwanda and South Africa). It includes questions regarding key areas for gender equality such as men’s attitudes and practices related to; health, division of labour in the family, caregiving, awareness of existing laws and policies, transactional sex and gender-based violence.

    The results from the previous surveys reveal that change seems to be happening as younger men and men with higher levels of education show more gender-equitable attitudes and practices. Men who report more gender-equitable attitudes are more likely to be happy and to talk to their partners. Women who report that their partners participate in daily care work report higher levels of relationship satisfaction. In most sites, younger men and men with more inequitable gender attitudes are more likely to regularly abuse alcohol.

    The data is also very useful for understanding the extent of and the factors involved in men’s use of violence and demand for sex work and sexual exploitation. Factors associated with men’s use of violence were according to the study rigid gender attitudes, work stress, experiences of violence in childhood and alcohol use.

    Activities to be undertaken in Zambia and Eastern DRC

    The upcoming activities in Zambia include:

    1. Identifying partners to form a national research team and an advisory group as well as securing the engagement of government officials in the process.
    2. Holding a planning meeting to establish a work plan, discuss the proposed methodology, and identify technical assistance needs during the study.
    3. Developing research instruments in collaboration with the research team.
    4. Implementing and collecting data for the IMAGES study.
    5. Producing a report and sharing the results widely, including through a dissemination meeting.
  • UNFPA Study on Involving Men and Boys in GBV Prevention

    UNFPA Study on Involving Men and Boys in GBV Prevention

    The Sonke Gender Justice study on involving men and boys in preventing and responding to gender-based violence in conflict, post-conflict and humanitarian settings came to an end in December 2011. The study, which was funded by UNFPA, involved scanning the African continent to compile relevant actors and programmes which indicated good and promising practice and a regional survey for UNFPA country offices which provided more in depth knowledge about success factors and key resources for involving men and boys. The study was finalised with a case-study of key UNFPA-supported programmes in Uganda.

    The study provided evidence of good practice in existing programmes, which is encouraging; especially since involving men and boys in GBV prevention and response is a relatively new field. The results included collected methods and resources on involving men and boys in GBV prevention and response, how to more effectively address underlying causes to GBV, how to avoid a backlash for men and women who challenge gender norms and how to increase ownership of programmes. Interesting findings and conclusions involve the following:

    • Men and boys are still sometimes included in a reactive manner – when programmes targeting women and involving women’s empowerment for example result in men feeling excluded and when there is an increase in GBV. The study shows that it is essential to address men’s potential feeling of disempowerment in order to avoid a backlash towards women.
    • It appears that concurrent strategies for involving women, men, girls and boys are necessary – where the focus for men and boys is to deconstruct masculinities and the focus for women and girls empowerment.
    • Perpetrators and LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersex) persons are often neglected in GBV prevention and response programmes even when they represent key target groups. LGBTI forms a population group which is often severely affected by GBV (for example regarding hate crimes/violence targeting LGBTI persons and corrective rape).
    • There isn’t necessarily a linear relationship between changing attitudes and norms on the one hand and changing behaviour on the other. Programs in the study often appeared to aim for changing norms and attitudes through awareness raising, which in turn was expected to change behaviour. It is however essential to closely follow up on norms and attitudes and to make sure that both attitudes and behaviours are part of the programming. It appears that the material from the Uganda case-study indicate that men had not always internalised gender transformation aspects even if some behaviours had changed.
    • It is important to focus on the benefits for men and boys when involving them in GBV prevention and response programmes – and to connect these programmes with the realities of their everyday lives. Positive messages involving how positive actions and attitudes can benefit men are crucial in order for them to internalise messages and ideas and realise that they have a stake in behaviour change. “Blame language” should be avoided when possible since it easily creates defense mechanisms.
    • In order to address underlying causes of GBV it is recognised that programmes/interventions need to be gender transformative and hence promote equitable relationships, challenge male gender norms and change gender relations. Many programmes are struggling with achieving gender transformation. Building on community participation for carrying out and managing GBV prevention and response programmes and to base the programme on the lived experiences of the participants is however a good starting point to achieve gender transformation and ownership. Nonetheless, the study indicates progress since some informants for example express that GBV has decreased, that men increasingly solve conflicts through dialogue, that gender norms increasingly allow men to take on traditionally female tasks, attend family planning appointments and that women’s decision making in the household has increased. It, however, appears that even if men want to change, the community context can make this very hard. It is hence essential to work on both the individual and community level to ensure a supportive community context.

    Conflict, post-conflict and humanitarian settings can be seen as a window of opportunity in terms of changing gender relations since attitudes, values and cultures often are re-negotiated. It is important to analyse and monitor gender relations and power dynamics in these changing contexts in order to develop programmes which increase gender equality – or at least do no harm in terms of GBV.

    Download

    Download the full report: Sonke study on involving men and boys in GBV prevention (UNFPA)

  • MenEngage Policy Advocacy

    MenEngage Policy Advocacy

    What is policy advocacy?

    Advocacy is a set of targeted actions directed at changing policies, positions or programmes. Advocacy Networks are groups of organisations and individuals working together to achieve changes in policy, law, or programs for a particular issue.

    Through advocacy, networks can engage in high-level dialogue with policymakers and other influential leaders on broad policy issues. Advocacy can include work that focuses on one specific issue, campaigns that span a specific period of time, or ongoing work that on a broad range of issues. Advocacy can be conducted on national, regional or local levels.

    The policy advocacy work of the MenEngage Africa Network targets decision-makers on the progressive and proactive engagement of men and boys in the areas of health, HIV and AIDS, sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence, parenting and human rights.

    The MenEngage Africa Network is very important as a structure: networks are powerful tools to allow organisations and individuals to share ownership of common goals.

    Why is policy advocacy important?

    Policy initiatives can lead to large-scale changes in men’s behaviours and attitudes about gender and health. Because policy is one of the collective forces that defines and sustains gender norms, it also has the potential to challenge social norms and institutional cultures that perpetuate inequalities and violence. With effective policies in place, it is easier to implement work to engage with men and boys. Without effective policies, such work is much more difficult.

    Public policies and engagement with the public sector are therefore central to the goal of scaling up work with men and boys and achieving societal change in gender norms. It is essential to build a shared policy agenda on engaging men and boys among civil society, national policy-makers and regional bodies.

    To achieve this, and to be most effective, policies should be ‘gender-transformative’ and ensure that they do not reinforce negative societal values and norms. Gender-transformative action seeks to promote equitable relationships, challenge male gender norms, transform the traditionally accepted norms associated with being a man or a woman, and change gender relations. Thus the MenEngage Africa Network advocates for policies, laws and plans to prioritise work that is gender-transformative.

    It is also important to remember that policies and laws alone cannot effect long-term and sustained change. They are a necessary first step, but they must be followed up by effective implementation, without which policy alone is ineffectual. Such implementation should be stimulated, enforced and monitored by civil society, as policies alone will not achieve large-scale social change.

    How do we go about influencing policy?

    It is important for policy advocacy to be based on strong research. Therefore, a thorough scan of existing policy is necessary before any advocacy work begins. This process identifies strengths and weaknesses within current policies and laws, highlighting any gaps that need to be addressed.

    Once such scans are complete, policy reports or policy briefs are usually produced. A policy report may summarise all the strengths and weaknesses of a policy or set of policies, while a policy brief may highlight the recommendations which have been produced by the policy scan.

    The MenEngage Africa Network shares such results among its partners, especially those within the country relevant to the policy scan. A number of different activities could then be planned to take forward the results of the policy scan. These can include:

    • Organising meetings with government officials or policy-makers to influence new policy development, discuss the adjustment of existing policies, or persuade government officials to prioritise particular programme approaches or services.
    • Making submissions and commenting on drafts when new policies are being developed.
    • Informing the public and opinion leaders about a particular issue and mobilising them to apply pressure on those who can take action.
    • Creating support among community members and generating demand for the implementation of particular programme approaches or services.
    • Developing mechanisms to hold government to account and to monitor the implementation of policies and commitments, and creating pressure for the necessary resources to be made available.
  • Sonke and MenEngage Africa Policy Advocacy Tools

    Sonke and MenEngage Africa Policy Advocacy Tools

    Evidence has shown that if men are engaged in HIV and GBV prevention efforts, the promotion of sexual and reproductive health and involved parenting, there are great benefits for women, children and men themselves. Many men are already involved in these ways, but in order for widespread changes to take place, the engagement of men at policy level must be addressed.

    In light of this, Sonke, on behalf of MenEngage Africa, have produced a set of national policy reports across Africa examining policies, laws and plans in the areas of: 1) HIV and AIDS; 2) Gender-Based Violence (GBV); 3) Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR); 4) parenting and 5) LGBTI issues. The reports assess the extent to which the policies contain language relating to the proactive and progressive engagement of men and boys across these critical areas for gender equality.

    Additionally, a Policy Advocacy Toolkit has been created and published by Sonke to support organisations wanting to conduct policy advocacy work based on the findings of the national policy reports.

    Policy Advocacy Toolkit

    Click to download the Policy Advocacy Toolkit (PDF)In order to support policy advocacy work aimed at addressing policy gaps highlighted by the MenEngage Africa policy reports, Sonke and MenEngage Africa produced a Policy Advocacy Toolkit.

    This toolkit provides useful definitions; identifies key players in the production of policy; provides a step-by-step guide on how to successfully advocate, including a detailed case study example; discusses the use of the MenEngage Africa policy report series and policy advocacy work with regional economic communities; and provides a list of resources.

    It targets organisations that work with men and boys for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. It is designed for use within an African context but may be amended to suit any country’s social, political and economic conditions. It is hoped that this toolkit will be particularly useful for MenEngage Africa partners who are committed to the task of creating gender equal societies on the continent.

    Download

    MenEngage Africa Policy Reports

    Each report highlights findings, recommendations and suggests policy language. The reports can be used as advocacy and programming tools, to strengthen a focus on engaging men for gender equality within national laws and policies. Their key audiences are national and regional civil society, policy makers and decision-makers.

    The reports, and the accompanying longer versions, were developed by Sonke in collaboration with MenEngage partners, and with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women administered by UN Women, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

    Please click on the links below to access the policy reports, as well as the detailed overall reports (of which the published reports are a summary).

    Kenya

    Click to download the Kenya Policy Report (PDF)The analysis found that Kenya’s sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and parenting policies seek to positively engage with men in a number of ways. Unfortunately, while there are positive aspects to Kenya’s National AIDS Strategic Plan (NSP) and Kenya’s gender-based violence (GBV) policies, these policies generally fall short in terms of engaging with men and boys. It is recommended that Kenya’s policies, laws and plans utilise specific language to articulate a commitment to the engagement of men, and identify strategies to address the issues they recognise and articulate. It is especially important for policies to acknowledge the role played by gender norms and plan work that aims to address and transform gender norms.

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    Rwanda

    Click to download the Rwanda Policy Report (PDF)The analysis found that Rwanda’s policies and plans compare favourably with many other countries in the region in relation to the engagement of men and boys. In particular Rwanda has some very strong policies related to gender-based violence (GBV). While there are aspects within the Rwandan Law on Prevention and Punishment of Gender-Based Violence that are problematic, commendably it does criminalise marital rape. There are a number of strengths in terms of engaging men within the National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS and the National Accelerated Plan for Women, Girls, Gender Equality & HIV. However, certain sexual and reproductive health and rights policies do not adequately engage with men, and Rwanda’s parenting policies do not enable men to prioritize their role as fathers.

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    Sierra Leone

    Click to download the Sierra Leone Policy Report (PDF)The analysis found that although Sierra Leone’s National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS 2011–2015 was published in 2011, it has not incorporated a sufficient focus on gender issues, or on the need to engage with men. With the passing of the Sexual Offences Act in August 2012, it is hoped that the political will to address gender-based violence (GBV) in Sierra Leone will continue to strengthen. Unfortunately, Sierra Leone’s sexual and reproductive health (SRH) policies do not sufficiently address men’s SRH needs, and do not take advantage of the benefits that men can provide through supporting their partners’ SRH. Certain policies that relate to parenting in Sierra Leone may reinforce traditional gender norms, rather than challenging such norms in order to encourage men to be more involved in parenting.

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    South Africa

    Policy Report: Engaging Men In HIV And GBV Prevention, SRHR Promotion And ParentingThe analysis found that South Africa has developed a strong National Strategic Plan for HIV, STIs and TB 2012–2016 in terms of engaging men and boys, a strong 365 Day National Action Plan to End Gender Violence, and is a best practice example in terms of LGBTI policy and law in Africa. The 365 Day National Action Plan to End Gender Violence, however, needs to be updated and there are some weaknesses within policies related to sexual and reproductive health and parenting. Generally, it is recommended that policies, laws and plans utilise more specific language and identify achievable strategies to address the problems they recognise and articulate.  Where applicable, it is important that laws, policies and plans make provisions for the costing and budgeting of programmes, together with clear implementation plans.

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    Uganda

    Click to download the Uganda Policy Report (PDF)The analysis found that Uganda’s policies and plans regarding HIV need to be updated, and should include a stronger emphasis on targeting men and influencing gender norms. Gender-based violence (GBV) policies and plans prioritise the need to engage with men, but that the accompanying laws are lacking. While the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) policies are strong in terms of engaging with men as clients of SRH, they are weak in terms of engaging with men as partners or as advocates for change. Uganda’s parenting policies are inconsistent in terms of positively engaging with men.

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    Zambia

    Click to download the Zambia Policy Report (PDF)The analysis found that Zambia’s National AIDS Strategic Framework effectively identifies that men need to be engaged around issues related to HIV, but could go further in terms of articulating how such a goal should be achieved. Zambia’s National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence adequately highlights the need to engage with men, but is less adequately supported by Zambian legislation. While Zambian sexual and reproductive health (SRH) policies attempt to emphasise men’s SRH needs, they do not adequately engage with men as partners able to support women’s SRH, and do not address the need to transform gender norms related to health seeking behaviour. The Zambian Draft Constitution shows the potential to precipitate a more gender-equal approach to parenting, which as yet is not evident in Zambian policy and law.

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     Malawi

    MALAWILegislation in Malawi generally seeks to transform negative gender norms and relations in society. In the area of HIV and AIDS, policies note that gender relations exacerbate its spread and adversely affect mortality rates. Policies on sexual and reproductive health articulate how gender differences impact on access to, and uptake of, testing, treatment and preventative health services. However, this commitment to gender transformation is not mirrored in policies dealing with parenting and gender-based violence (GBV) respectively. For example, parenting policies reinforce the idea that it is a mother’s duty to care for and nurture children while fathers need only provide materially and financially. Furthermore, the potential role men can play in the prevention of GBV is overlooked and there are no provisions encouraging men to work as advocates for change in terms of challenging GBV in their communities.

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    Tanzania

    TANZANIAFew of Tanzania’s HIV policies promote and seek to operationalise gender transformative work to address men’s sexual practices and uptake of testing and treatment services. Gender-based violence (GBV) policies and legislation also pay scant attention to the potential role men can play in providing support to victims of GBV and preventing acts of GBV in their communities. While policies on sexual and reproductive health and rights acknowledge the need for improved male-centred health services and spaces for men to be more involved in the neonatal and maternal health of their partners and children, there are no plans in place to actualise these aims. Tanzanian policies that relate to parenting reinforce the role of mothers as caregivers and fathers as financial providers, rather than encouraging gender-equal parenting in all areas. Finally, owing to same-sex relations being illegal in Tanzania, the needs and concerns of LGBTI persons are not accounted for in laws and policies.

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    Namibia

    NAMIBIAThe analysis, carried out in 2012, found that while gender inequality is acknowledged within Namibia’s National Strategic Framework for HIV and AIDS, it is not afforded sufficient consideration and there is almost no planned interaction with men. Namibia’s GBV and parenting policies contain several strategies for engaging men and the sexual and reproductive health policies are both strategic and progressive in terms of behaviour changing interventions being combined with women’s empowerment programmes. However, concrete Information, Education, Communication (IEC) strategies or male-targeted service provision have unfortunately not yet been developed and because homosexuality is outlawed in Namibia the LGBTI population is left out of key pieces of legislation.

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    Ethiopia

    ETHIOPIAThe analysis found that most policies and plans acknowledge that there is gender inequality between men and women in the Ethiopian society. For example, HIV and AIDS policies recognise that gender is a key driver of the pandemic and that women are more vulnerable to the disease than men. However, in most legislation, discussions on gender norms and roles are minimal and do not go into enough depth, especially on the impact of negative masculinities. This is most notable in the legal provisions dealing with gender-based violence. The only pieces of legislation that directly engage men are those dealing with sexual and reproductive health and parenting. Finally, marginalised men are minimally accounted for in policies, such as imprisoned men and men who have sex with men. In fact, because homosexuality is outlawed in Ethiopia, LGBTI people are left out of key legislation and are not able to access vital health services and other legal entitlements.

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    The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

    DRCThis analysis found that the DRC has made efforts in terms of engaging men and boys, but should include a stronger emphasis on influencing gender norms. While the sexual and reproductive health policies are engaging with men as clients, they are weak in engaging them as advocates for change. Specific steps need to be taken to directly target men, especially in relation to parenting and encouraging men to be role models. Where applicable, strategies aiming to address underlying causes, including gender norms and the engagement of men should be specified. Marginalised men particularly need to be properly engaged within all relevant policies and the violence men experience should also be acknowledged and accounted for.

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    Please note that the report in French will be uploaded to the website soon.

    Zimbabwe

    Policy-Report-Draft Zimbabwe- FINAL-1This analysis has found that Zimbabwe’s policies and plans regarding HIV and AIDS offer comprehensive prevention strategies that combine uptake of condoms, roll out of medical male circumcision (MMC) as well as testing and treatment. However, these do not address the link between HIV and gender and the role that negative masculinities play in exacerbating its spread. The tendency to overlook the impact of gender norms can also be found in policies dealing with gender-based violence (GBV). Legislation on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) includes programming that directly targets men, calling them to change dangerous sexual practices such as having multiple sexual partners and under utilising condoms whilst also encouraging them to become involved in the maternal and neonatal health of partners and children. The same level of engagement with men can also be noted in policies related to parenting which encourage equal parenting between men and women. However, both SRHR and parenting policies do not fully discuss the role played by harmful gender norms or strongly emphasise the importance of male involvement. Another important omission is that the needs and concerns of LGBTI persons are not accounted for in laws and policies because homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe.

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    Upcoming policy reports

    The policy report for the following country is currently being drafted and will soon be available: Mozambique.

    Scorecards on GBV Laws and Policy

    Engaging men and boys in the prevention and elimination of gender-based violence (GBV) on the African continent

    Click to download the Scorecard on GBV Laws and Policies (PDF)In preparation for the 57th Commission on the Status of Women, bearing in mind that the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls is the priority theme, Sonke Gender Justice, with support from UNFPA, SIDA and UN Women, developed a scorecard of GBV Laws and Policies in Africa.

    This scorecard provides an assessment of whether national policies and laws in the African region attempt to engage men and boys in the prevention and elimination of gender-based violence (GBV). The report analyses policies and laws from eleven African countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

    It identifies various strengths and gaps within the region’s GBV policies and laws with regards to their inclusion of language relating to the proactive and progressive engagement of men and boys. Furthermore, it offers recommendations for how such policies can increase the commitment and capacity of men and boys to play a proactive role in preventing and eliminating GBV.

    The scorecard will be presented at the 57th CSW in New York and will also be disseminated at events within the region. It can be used as a policy advocacy tool to strengthen the engagement of men within policy for the prevention of gender-based violence.

    The analysis found that many national policies aimed at addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in Africa need to be strengthened in terms of engaging with men and boys. While a few pieces of legislation articulate the importance of engaging men and boys for the elimination and prevention of GBV, with some notably mentioning the need to shift negative masculine norms and behaviours, there are hardly any which emphasise the need for Information, Education and Communication (IEC) or Behaviour and Communication Change (BCC) strategies in order to effectively operationalise this aim. In many of the policies, men are viewed primarily as perpetrators of GBV and are not engaged as potential advocates for change.

    Download

    Scorecard on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) policies in Africa

    Scorecard on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) policies in AfricaThis scorecard provides an assessment of whether national policies from twelve African countries attempt to engage men and boys in the promotion of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR): the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Scorecard identifies various strengths and gaps within these countries’ SRHR policies with regards to their inclusion of language relating to the proactive and progressive engagement of men and boys. Furthermore, it offers recommendations for how such policies can increase the commitment and capacity of men and boys to play a proactive role in promoting SRHR.  The scorecard is intended to be used by civil society, governments, policy-makers as well as decision-makers working in the development of policy and legislation on SRHR. It aims to enable a better understanding on how to improve SRHR for all citizens, including the importance of engaging men and boys in the promotion of SRHR. It also offers an opportunity to address the gaps and priorities identified in existing policies. It can also be used to identify key areas and priorities for policy advocacy.

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  • MenEngage Global Alliance

    MenEngage Global Alliance

    MenEngage is a global alliance of NGOs and UN agencies that seeks to engage boys and men to achieve gender equality, including more than 400 NGOs from Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, Asia and Europe. The Alliance came together in 2004 with the general goal of working in partnership to promote the engagement of men and boys in achieving gender equality, promoting health and reducing violence at the global level, including questioning the structural barriers to achieving gender equality.

    The MenEngage partners work collectively and individually toward the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly those components that focus on achieving gender equality. Activities of the alliance include information-sharing, joint training activities and national, regional and international advocacy. We develop joint statements of action on specific areas of engaging men, carry out advocacy campaigns and seek to act as a collective voice to promote a global movement of men and boys engaged in and working toward gender equality and questioning violence and non-equitable versions of manhood.

    We believe that questioning men’s and women’s attitudes and expectations about gender roles is crucial to achieving gender equality.

    MenEngage members seek to engage men and promote advocacy around a number of key themes where gender directly affects the lives of women and men. These are topic areas in which MenEngage members exchange ideas, will produce joint statements and carry out joint advocacy activities.

    The Steering Committee (SC) is the ultimate decision-making body for the MenEngage Alliance. Additional member organisation can be invited to join the SC by a simple majority of the existing members, up to a maximum of 10 SC members. SC member organisations must be non-governmental organisations.

    International Steering Committee Members include Sonke Gender Justice (co-chair), Promundo (co-chair), EngenderHealth, Family Violence Prevention Fund, International Center for Research on Women, International Planned Parenthood Federation, Men’s Resources International (United States), Salud y Genero (Mexico), Save the Children-Sweden, Sahoyog, White Ribbon Campaign, WHO, UNDP, UNFPA and UNIFEM.

    www.menengage.org

  • MenEngage South Africa

    MenEngage South Africa

    Recently, with support from UNFPA, Sonke and other partners in South Africa have started to explore the idea of a MenEngage country network in South Africa that has a specific youth focus and which focuses on a broader range of sexual and reproductive health issues than only HIV. To date, provincial steering committees have been established in two provinces, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

    While MenEngage has been active around the world, with active country networks in 11 African countries, to date South Africa has not been one of these. There are a number of complex reasons for this, not least of all because there are a number of active networks and campaigns in South Africa seeking to engage men and boys, especially on HIV, including the South African National AIDS Council’s Men’s Sector and the Brothers for Life initiative.

    In late 2011, Sonke hosted a Policy Dialogue with stakeholders across the board, to further explore this option.

  • Learning Centres Initiative

    Learning Centres Initiative

    The Learning Centre Initiative aims to highlight the good practice of Reproductive Health Uganda (based in Hoima) and the Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia (based in Choma) in working with men and boys on sexual and reproductive health.

    The initiative is coordinated by Sonke and the Swedish Association of Sexuality Education (RFSU). Sonke’s role is to provide overall project management and technical support to the sites, as well as to develop skills in communications, advocacy, operations and research and increase the base of theoretical knowledge concerning male involvement.

    The Initiative follows on from the work done by RFSU with partners in five countries from 2005-2009 under the umbrella of the Young Men for Equal Partners project (YMEP) which sought to improve the sexual reproductive health of young people though greater involvement of young men in sexual and reproductive health.

    The end of term evaluation showed positive results in terms of reduced teen pregnancy, increased willingness to talk about sex and sexuality, earlier diagnosis of STIs.

    The Learning Centres Initiative seeks to document the lessons learnt by two of the partners in the YMEP programme and distribute information about their successes throughout the region.

    Sonke has been appointed by RFSU as the project management partner to help establish the Initiative with the partners and manage the initiative going forward, linking it initiative to other MenEngage Africa processes and ensuring that the project is appropriately monitored and documented and that results are disseminated to our various partners and other stakeholders in SRHR.

    Together we are working to shift the focus of work with men and boys in SRHR from a focus as men as part of the problem, to men as partners and agents of change and clients of SRH services.

  • MenEngage Global Alliance – Conferences and Symposiums

    MenEngage Global Alliance – Conferences and Symposiums

    Sonke, the Co-Chair of the MenEngage Alliance, celebrates a successful global symposium that was held earlier this month in Delhi. From November 10-13th, nearly 1200 delegates from 94 countries attended the 2nd Global MenEngage symposium and on November 14th, the MenEngage Global Assembly met in Delhi, India.

    Nearly 1200 delegates from 94 countries descend on Delhi for 2nd Menengage Global Symposium
    Speakers at the opening plenary of the 2nd Global MenEngage symposium in Delhi, India. (Third from right: UN Women Executive Director and former South African Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.) Photo by Czerina Patel.

    In her opening plenary speech at the symposium, the Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, emphasised that “engaging men and boys is a must” for advancing women’s rights and equality.

    At the end of four days of robust panel discussions, workshops, networking, shared best practices and cultural exchange, the Delhi Declaration was drafted and presented to the symposium laying out a plan for a more inclusive and expansive approach in order to achieve gender equality. One of the specific policy areas and actions to engage men in gender justice, which was proposed in the Delhi Declaration, is to reduce and redistribute unpaid care work in order to allow women in particular more time for other pursuits such as self-care, education, political participation and paid work.

  • MenEngage Global Alliance – Declarations

    MenEngage Global Alliance – Declarations

    Delhi Declaration and Call to Action

    We live in a world of profound inequalities and unbalanced power relations, where rigid norms and values about how people should behave fuel and exacerbate injustices. We have to change that. This is why more than 1200 activists/professionals coming from 94 countries and with a broad variety of organisational backgrounds, convened the second MenEngage Global Symposium in New Delhi, India, from November 10-13, 2014.

    Gender equality is an essential component of human rights, as upheld by international standards articulated, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, International Covenant on Civil and Political Right, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We reiterate our commitment to implementing the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (1994), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), United Nations Commission on the Status of Women at its 48th Session in 2004, and all other relevant agreements. We reaffirm our commitment to implement the MenEngage Rio and Johannesburg Calls to Action (2009). We look forward to future agreements including the development agenda beyond 2015 and to continue to uphold boys’ and men’s engagement as key efforts to ensuring gender equality and gender justice for all.

    This Symposium reflected the full complexity and diversity of gender justice issues. It challenged us to reflect, think strategically, reach out across socially constructed boundaries, and strengthen partnerships. There are gaps. As an outcome of this historic event, and as a shared commitment and Call to Action, we offer the following concerns and affirmations:

    1. Patriarchy and gender injustice remain defining characteristics of societies around the world, with devastating effects on everyone’s daily life. No matter who we are, and no matter where we are in the world, these forces make our relationships less fulfilling, less healthy and less safe. From an early age, they introduce suffering, violence, illness, hate and death within our families and communities. They strip us of our fundamental human rights and hinder our ability to live a life with love, dignity, intimacy and mutual respect. They hamper the development of our economies and keep our global society from flourishing. These are the root causes of many barriers to sustainable development around the world. We urgently need to overcome these immense threats to human wellbeing.
    2. Patriarchy affects everyone, but in different ways. Women and girls continue to face significant, disproportionately high levels of gender injustice and human rights violation. Men and boys are both privileged and damaged by patriarchy, but are rarely aware of that fact. Men and boys are also gendered beings. Gender equality brings benefits to women, men and other genders. We urgently need to acknowledge that gender inequalities are unacceptable no matter who is affected.
    3. We build on a precious heritage. We owe our awareness of gender injustices, our efforts to promote equality, and the existence of this Symposium itself to the pioneering courage and vision of feminist and women’s rights movements. We align with the work of women’s rights organisations and recognise all achievements in transforming social, cultural, legal, financial and political structures that sustain patriarchy. Keeping its historical context in view, we shall continue our work with men and boys towards gender equality informed by feminist and human rights principles, organisations and movements and in a spirit of solidarity.
    4. We believe in an inclusive approach to realise gender justice. We are men, women and transgender persons calling for everyone to participate in the gender justice movement. Though engaging men and boys is an essential part of such efforts, this has often been overlooked. We seek to make visible the most effective ways men and boys can contribute to gender equality, without being used as mere instruments.
    5. Patriarchal power, expressed through dominant masculinities, is among the major forces driving structural injustices and exploitation. We are particularly concerned about the many manifestations of militarism and neoliberal globalisation, for example: war; the proliferation of weapons; global and local economic inequality; violent manifestations of political and religious fundamentalisms; state violence; violence against civil society; human trafficking; and the destruction of natural resources. We urgently need to expose the link between patriarchy and the exploitation of people and environment, and to help boys and men change their behaviour from “power over” to “power with.”
    6. Gender inequalities are related to inequalities based on race, age, class, caste, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability and other factors. We value the diversity of our world, and cannot continue to address these intersecting injustices in isolation. We commit to promoting social and economic inclusion through meaningful participation, deepened partnerships, and joint actions among social justice movements.
    7. It is essential that each of us live the values of gender justice. This requires men and boys in particular to reflect critically on their own power and privilege, and to develop personal visions of how to be gender-just men. It requires all of us to base our work on deep personal and political convictions. Whenever and wherever any of us says one thing but behaves differently, it fundamentally undermines our cause. We must speak out both in private and in public when we see others acting unjustly; being a silent bystander to an unjust act means being complicit in that act. Our beliefs, behaviours, relationships, and organisational structures must reflect those we want to see in the world. To do so, we must hold ourselves, as well as our friends, relatives, colleagues and allies accountable.
    8. Investment in engaging men and boys in gender justice work makes this work more comprehensive. It should not detract from investment in other effective strategies, especially those undertaken by women’s rights organisations. We reject attempts to weaken our alliances or to put complementary gender justice approaches in competition with one another. We are representatives of diverse organisations, pursuing multiple complementary approaches. We stand in solidarity with each other and commit to strengthening our shared vision of comprehensive gender justice work. We call on policy makers and donors to dramatically increase the resources available for all gender justice work and to include effective gender justice strategies in all development programmes.
    9. Priorities for specific policy areas and actions for engaging men and boys in gender justice work include: gender-based violence; violence against women; violence against girls, boys and trans-children; violence among men and boys; violence in armed conflict; violence against human rights defenders; caregiving and fatherhood; gender and the global political economy; sexual and reproductive health and rights; sexual and gender diversities and sexual rights (LGBTIQ); men’s and boys’ gender vulnerabilities and health needs; sexual exploitation; HIV and Aids; youth and adolescents; the education sector; work with religious and other leaders; environment and sustainability; and strengthening the evidence base.
    10. The Post-2015 Development Agenda must embrace a human rights approach and also transform unequal power relations. We believe that achieving gender justice requires engaging men and boys for the benefit of women and girls, men and boys themselves, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. For a world that is just, safe and sustainable. We advocate for all activists, civil society organisations, private sector partners, governments and UN agencies to actively promote these principles and ensure that the new international development agenda is just and inclusive.

    Delhi Call to Action

    Examples of how to address gaps

    Take work with men and boys from the programme and project level into policies and institutions.

    The personal is political, and vice-versa. Accelerating change, moving from the personal to the structural, requires reaching larger numbers of men and boys. We have to put into place systems to ensure institutions and individuals are held accountable for gender equality. We must change systems and institutions, including government, schools, families, the health sector, and the workplace, because they play a critical role in creating and maintaining gender norms, and have the potential to reach large numbers of individuals.

    We call for reexamining systems and institutions, including education and training, workplace behaviours and policies, legislations, management of public spaces, operation of faith-based institutions, and prevailing social norms.

    Policies and legal reform can institutionalise more gender-equitable relations in homes and offices, factories and fields, in government and on the street. Therefore we must:

    • Develop, implement and monitor policies to engage men and boys in gender equality and in building state capacity to implement those policies.
    • Actively advance institutional and governmental policies that address the social and structural determinants of gender inequalities, including through advocacy work.
    • Train staff to implement these policies.
    • Create public awareness campaigns to transform men’s and boys’ perceptions of gender roles.

    Promote gender equitable socialisation

    We are deeply concerned about the gender socialisation of girls and boys that begins at a very early age and hinders their full potential and inhibits their realising their full rights. We strongly believe that all parents – especially fathers – must demonstrate sensitivity, equitable and just behaviour, especially to boys, starting at home and school.

    Reaching out to boys during their critically important formative stage, will contribute to realising a new generation of men with more positive behaviours toward women, children, men and trans-people. It is vital to sensitise and involve boys and girls from early childhood and continue involving adolescents, preparing them to become gender sensitive, equitable and caring adults.

    Examples of specific policy areas and actions for engaging boys and men in gender justice include:

    • Empower children and young people to develop and foster gender transformative behaviour to break the cycle of violence and mobilise them as agents of change.
    • Develop comprehensive sexuality education and primary prevention of GBVas an integral part of school curricula, including human rights, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
    • Create curricula that challenges gender stereotypes and encourages critical thinking.
    • Train teachers and administrators to provide gender-sensitive learning environments.
    • Utilise lifecycle and socio-ecological based strategies beginning in early childhood and continuing with adolescents and preparing them to be gender sensitive, equal and caring adults.

    Examples of specific policy areas and actions for engaging men and boys in gender justice include:

    • Engaging men and boys to be more equitable in their own individual lives and to reject all forms of violence including domestic violence, and harmful practices such as child marriage and forced marriages, gender biased sex selection, and female genital mutilation.
    • Encouraging men and boys to question more pervasive and structural inequalities.

    Engage men as fathers and caregivers and in taking equal responsibility for unpaid care work

    Evidence shows that when fathers are involved with their children at an early stage, including in the prenatal period, there is a higher likelihood that they will remain connected to their children throughout their lives. Given that women and girls and carry out two to ten times more care work than men and boys, there is a need to achieve full equality for men’s and boys’ participation in care work and women’s participation in the paid work force with equal pay. This can only be done by fully sharing care work.

    Examples of specific policy areas and actions for engaging men in gender justice include:

    • Provide public services, infrastructure and social protection policies, and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and families.
    • Reduce and redistribute unpaid care work, to allow women in particular more time for other pursuits such as self-care, education, political participation and paid work; and redistribute care-work from poorer households to the state by financing, regulating and providing care services.
    • Promote the equal sharing of unpaid care work between men and women to reduce the disproportionate share of unpaid care work for women and girls and to change the attitudes that reinforce the gendered division of labour.
    • Promote more progressive paternity leave policies.
    • Implement public awareness campaigns and education to transform perceptions of caregiving roles among men.
    • Publicly support fatherhood preparation courses and campaigns focusing on men’s roles in the lives of children can address fathers’ reported feelings of being unprepared for caregiving, and help men perceive benefits from greater participation.

    Engage men as supportive partners, clients and positive agents of change in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)

    Throughout the world SRHR is largely considered the sole responsibility of women while many men continue to neglect the SRHR needs and responsibilities of themselves, their partners, and their families. Men’s lower utilisation of SRH services, like HIV testing and treatment, is a result of both rigid gender norms as well as structural barriers such as clinics that are ill-prepared to address male-specific health issues. As a result, not only are women and girls left to bear much of the burden of their own and their families’ SRHR, but men’s lack of involvement also places expensive and unnecessary burdens on health systems. Interventions with men and boys on SRHR have been shown to effectively increase men’s utilisation of services, as well as support and respect for their partner’s SRHR, which in turn improves the health of women, children and men themselves.

    Examples of specific policy areas and actions for engaging men in gender justice include:

    • Promote accessible sexual and reproductive health services and rights for women.
    • Engage men and boys in transforming the rigid norms that shape sexual and reproductive health outcomes and enable them to seek information and services for addressing their sexual and reproductive health needs.
    • Provide comprehensive sexuality education that promotes a critical reflection about gender norms, healthy relations, power inequalities.
    • Promote men’s and boys’ shared responsibilities in sexual and reproductive behaviour and rights.
    • Expand the availability and use of male contraceptive methods and/or prevention of STIs.Create and utilise spaces for men to take responsibility in prenatal and child health services.
  • EMERGE Evidence Review

    EMERGE Evidence Review

    What do we know about the role of men and boys in supporting gender equality?

    What works in engaging men and boys for gender equality in education, employment, care work, and political participation? Which interventions have been effective in engaging men and boys in tackling gender-based violence and in ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights? And what challenges exist in achieving all of the above?

    A wide range of initiatives and interventions now exist for engaging men and boys aimed at increasing men’s support for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Initiatives that seek to change norms, often using collective action, connect up individual, community and institutional levels and target young people are seemingly most effective in this. Not enough is known, however, about what works best when it comes to changing broader social norms, or the institutional arrangements and structures which sustain or shift these norms and attitudes, nor indeed about which men (and women) need to become engaged at different levels, why and how.

    EMERGE

    To help address this, the EMERGE project has just published a new resource which gathers evidence and lessons to provide a stronger basis for improving policy, learning and practice.The EMERGE document library provides salient, relevant literature (datasets, books, articles, program reports) published in recent years. It includes studies, as well as mapping of policies and processes of change that have documented impacts on lives and relationships. These examine changes in men’s lives, as well as changes in women’s lives, and changes in the relations between women and men. The studies were selected by relevance to EMERGE learning objectives and the rigor of the methodology, as well as by the strength of the evidence presented. They are organized by nine priority themes, providing key insights on:

    • Political, social and economic processes that can bring about sustainable long-term attitudinal and behavioral change towards gender equality among boys and men;
    • The interplay between such change and formal or informal policies and institutions;
    • The various roles that boys and men (can) play in influencing or enabling interventions aimed at girls and women;
    • Development interventions and approaches that effectively support long-term attitudinal and behavior change, facilitating men’s and boys’ support for gender equality, and which may hinder such support.

    EMERGE (Engendering Men: Evidence on Routes to Change for Gender Equality) is a two year project undertaken by Sonke, in partnership with the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and Promundo. The project’s aim is to review and analyse the evidence available globally in order to enable learning on what works best and to support stronger leadership for working with boys and men to promote gender equality. The project team aims to do this by gathering, inter-relating and analysing evidence and lessons. These will be strategically disseminated in targeted and accessible formats for improved learning, policy and practice. The project pays particular attention to efforts that go beyond individualistic and linear programmatic approaches and instead attempts to understand broader and more lasting impact by effecting changes in laws, policies and institutional practices.

  • Research Monitoring & Evaluation

    Research Monitoring & Evaluation

    Sonke is committed to knowledge creation and evidence-based research. It is our aim to continually strengthen gender justice organisations around the African continent and more widely around the globe. We collaborate with reputable research partners to undertake critical research projects, contributing to an evidence and knowledge base of transforming gender relations for gender justice.

    In addition to generating knowledge, we are committed to building the internal capacity of our organisational partners to develop effective monitoring and evaluation systems with which they can track, measure and improve their own work. We also support partners to undertake context-specific research to inform their own work.

    To ensure that our own programmatic work is effective, we remain informed of best practices as we consistently monitor our impact. This assists us to improve our work, ensuring it remains sensitive to the needs of the communities we work with and the changing contexts of the world around us.

    In collaboration with all units and portfolios at Sonke, the RME Unit collects, structures and analyses data, in order to measure the effectiveness and impact of our work. The gathered intelligence works to strengthen the evidence base on gender transformative practice and policy, as well as inform, monitor and evaluate Sonke’s programming and advocacy strategies. The unit also provides technical guidance on research design and methodology, and, on improving and standardising the internal monitoring and evaluation process.

    Over the past five years, Sonke has increasingly partnered with academic institutions to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of our One Man Can model and other programmatic work we have developed and implemented in South Africa and throughout the continent.

    What we do

    Sonke utilises RME as a tool for knowledge generation, strategic decision-making and learning. Additionally, Sonke deploys its generated knowledge to advocate for and influence policy and programming practice at the local, regional and global level. To ensure that the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system remains effective, efficient and responsive to the organisation’s strategic learning goals, M&E happens throughout the project cycle and is embedded in organisational processes.

    Consistent with Sonke’s commitment to understanding and learning from our work so as to continually refine and improve it, and in line with our commitment to strengthening the health, human-rights and gender-equality sectors more broadly, Sonke has conducted rigorous research on our CAT work, including in ongoing partnerships with internationally recognised researchers from schools of public health and schools of law at various prestigious universities. These include the University of Cape Town, the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Pretoria, the Medical Research Council, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). These partnerships have allowed us to develop and test new theoretical frameworks and implementation models for community mobilisation, including through a number of National Institute of Health-funded randomised control trials, recognised as the gold standard for impact evaluation. These studies are currently taking place in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga; in Diepsloot, a large informal settlement just outside Johannesburg; in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, and from our Wellness Centre in Gugulethu, Cape Town. Findings from this research have been positive and in some instances have indicated significant reductions in men’s violence against women, improvements in community health seeking and reduced levels of parental violence against children, and have been widely published in peer-reviewed journals of public health and presented at major health and human-rights conferences.

    Ten Year Review of Sonke’s Work and Impact

    In 2017 Sonke Gender Justice sought to review and offer an account of its contribution, over the last ten years, towards reaching gender equality, reducing gender-based violence, and addressing HIV and AIDS in South Africa and at regional and global levels.

    View the Ten Year Evaluations here

  • Social and Structural Drivers

    Social and Structural Drivers

    Sonke’s Social and Structural Drivers (SSD) Portfolio addresses the social and structural drivers of inequality and ill-health to better address the deep linkages between gender inequalities and violence, poverty and economic inequalities, racism, xenophobia, harmful religious and cultural practices, and other socioeconomic factors.

    Given that faith communities are catalysts in shaping social norms, it is vital that Sonke’s interventions and programmes integrate this target group to address GBV from a faith perspective. Sonke’s work with religious and traditional communities has gained significant momentum in the past four years. Sonke serves in the leadership of two global initiatives to mobilise faith communities for gender justice – the We Will Speak Out campaign and the Side by Side for Gender Justice campaign. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) East and Southern African Regional Office (ESARO) recognised Sonke as a key player in its work with faith communities, and consistently calls on Sonke’s expertise for capacity-building and training purposes. Additionally, Sonke has conducted a series of training and/or discussion sessions with religious leaders, the media and faith communities throughout the region. Traditional leaders, as with religious leaders, play a significant role in influencing cultural and social norms, particularly in South Africa, where they continue to hold significant influence and power under the current Government and a dual legal system.

  • Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights

    Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights

    Established in January 2013 and as a cross-cutting portfolio, the SRHR portfolio mainstreams SRHR into all of Sonke’s work to ensure that women and men, girls and boys are able to access their rights to sexual and reproductive health education and services, including comprehensive sexuality education. The portfolio builds on Sonke’s internal capacity to do this, including through supporting the development of a set of training and community education materials and advocacy approaches.

    The SRHR Portfolio has three overarching goals:

    • To build capacity and provide technical assistance both within Sonke as well as among key partners nationally, regionally and globally to promote and provide rights-based and positive-oriented sexual and reproductive health services and education to men, women and young people in all their diversity.
    • To support and hold governing bodies and other duty bearers accountable to develop and implement policies and programmes that secure the SRHR for all, including gender transformative language and approaches to engage men and boys.
    • To engage men and women in all their diversity around SRHR as clients, equal partners and positive agents of change in their communities.

    Some of the activities that the portfolio has undertaken and supported so far include building Sonke’s internal capacity as well as that of our partners within the MenEngage Alliance to build a common understanding of a rights-based and positive-oriented approach to SRHR, particularly within the African context and activities. These inculde:

    • Analysing the gender-related issues that could impact the introduction of an ARV- based vaginal gel that could prevent HIV.
    • Developing and implementing an advocacy campaign on the prevention of teenage pregnancies that seeks to end the “shaming and blaming” culture around teenage pregnancy, and to promote rights-based and positive-oriented messaging to reduce unintended teen pregnancies.

    Providing training and technical assistance on gender integration into SRHR, including family planning, to key partners across the region, including USAID country missions, national governments and civil society organisations.