Sub-Saharan Africa: Men Become Partners for Change
Men are the primary perpetrators of gender-based violence. They are also critical partners in eliminating it. With support from the UN Trust Fund, the African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET) has worked in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Somaliland, South Africa and Zambia to rally men around advocating an end to violence against women.
FEMNET began this work in 2001 with the creation of a regional network of men that would help build capacity through the sharing of knowledge and experiences. Since then, the network has established a series of national chapters. They regularly reach out to the media and conduct training on gender and violence, including the link to HIV/AIDS. They also advocate changing negative male stereotypes about women and abandoning harmful sexual practices – such as wife swapping and general promiscuity – that increase the risk of contracting HIV.
In 2003, 100 men from four countries boarded buses to travel from Kenya to Malawi. Along the way, they conveyed through drama and music the vital role men can play in stopping both gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS. “As men, we need to reassess ... how we have been socialized,” says journalist Nelson Banda from Zambia. “We need to make positive changes and influence other men to live exemplary lives.”
