Men from Southern and East Africa mark 16 days of Activism in style

During the 16 days of Activism against Gender Violence, 114 gender activists from Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Uganda, the majority of them men, traveled to remote areas of Kenya by bus, urging people from all walks of life to take action on gender violence.

In a country where close to 1 in 2 women has experienced violence, responses were varied and complex – with many people coming out to report cases or explaining how they take action to curb violence, and others pledging never to give up on their power over women.

As 36 activists disembark from a bus branded with messages on the role men can play in ending gender violence, people around the central market place in Machakos town turn to watch, interrupting their normal business. The group quickly gets organized, forming a circle, and moving around dancing and singing, while hundreds of curious people, gather around them – and the scene is set. The Men for Gender Equality Now (MEGEN Kenya) drama group, with assistance from Malawian and Zambian activists, does its first skit, on the theme of gender-based violence.

As they perform, people trading at the market place, people coming to do their shopping and passers-by join the show, laugh, get surprised, comment loudly on the happenings, or just look on quietly. Afterwards, one of the leaders introduces the group, and talks about gender-based violence, what it entails, what people’s rights are, and how survivors can seek redress. Many stay on to discuss issues on a one-on-one basis with members of the group, all easily identified in their red t-shirts with messages on domestic violence, after the session is over. Several people report on cases of gender-based violence, which the Rapid Response Team of MEGEN, are tasked to follow-up, then the group gathers to move on to the next destination.

The market place session is one of the strategies utilised during the “Men’s Travelling Conference” (MTC), that has been organised by FEMNET, through its project Men for Gender Equality Now (MEGEN) since 2003, during the 16 days of Activism against Gender Violence. This year, the MTC lasted for 5 days, with buses carrying a total of 114 activists travelling on 3 different routes from Nairobi: to the Western and Nyanza provinces, to Coast province and to Central province. The team included gender trainers, counsellors, police officers and artists. The aim of this initiative is to extend the discussion on gender-based violence during the 16 days of activism beyond conference halls, TV-shows and newspapers, which rarely reaches to grassroots men and women residing outside of the major urban centres. Kennedy Odhiambo Otina, Coordinator of the project, explains:

“MTC is a unique approach targeting people in their locality, instead of us inviting people to attend a workshop. When we meet people in market places, it doesn’t remove them from their day-to-day business but gives them an opportunity to participate in the proceedings, and also relate to practical examples in their surroundings as we discuss issues of gender-based violence. In most cases we use vernacular language to bring the point’s closer home. We use that secure space to challenge gender stereotypes.”

While FEMNET, through the MEGEN project, coordinated the event, it also attracted regional participants from Malawi, Zambia and Uganda. Organisations sending their representatives to the activity included the Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre, The Zambia Women’s Lobby, the Nairobi Women’s Hospital, The Centre for Domestic Violence Prevention (CEDOVIP) from Uganda, UNCHR, and the Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW). Apart from skits and discussions in market places, the 3 teams met with Administration officials, such as District Officers, Local Chiefs and District Children’s Officers, Senior police officers and representatives of other NGOs and CBOs, and sought information on rampant cases, encouraged them to act on cases of gender-based violence, and provided information about the Sexual Offences Act of 2006, with which many officials are still not well-versed.

The 3 different teams also organised seminars with community members and officials – bringing together between 40 and 400 people - to provide facts on gender-based violence, and prompt discussion, particularly on the role men can play in ending violence and promote equality. “One of the things we found en route was that although senior police officers are quite clear on how to respond to issues of gender-based violence, police officers of lower ranks are often quite ignorant. This makes the process of seeking justice quite tricky; since the people charged with the responsibility of supporting survivors are not in the know. One of the proposed follow-up activities we have identified is therefore a training of police officers, which UNCHR has committed to support”, says Kennedy Odhiambo Otina.

The slogans on the red t-shirts which were worn by participants saying “Real Men Don’t Abuse Women”, proved to be provoking. Whereas some men came up to team members saying “I am one of you. I also do not believe in using violence or controlling my wife”, others got angry: “What are these “Real Men”. Women must be beaten,” a drunk man at a restaurant shouted at the group.

While travelling around the country and meeting with key officials, many innovative strategies on how officials as well as ordinary people try to promote gender equality and denounce gender violence also emerged. In the town of Voi, 6 hours drive South-East of Nairobi, the District Children’s Officer for Taita-Taveta, George Migosi, received representatives from the bus in his office – where bags containing food items were stored. The food is to be collected by single mothers, as an alternative form of child maintenance from absent fathers who claim not to have money, he explains.
“I tell the men who claim they cannot pay maintenance for their children, that as long as you are eating, the child should also do as much. You cannot be excused from paying unless you are dead”.

The hope is that the MTC will inspire action, and sharing of innovative ideas, stretching beyond the 16 days of activism, as MEGEN follows up with community seminars and assistance to survivors who reported cases during the event.

As was pointed out by Dr James W. Nyikal, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development during the launch of the MTC 2008 - every one has a role to play in ending the social acceptance of gender-based violence, and this work continues throughout the year.

“The perpetrators of violence are people who live among us, sometimes even known to us but often we choose to look away and only act when damage is already done, particularly to our kith and kin. We must also speak out when our neighbours are affected. We must protect our community by being our neighbour’s keeper.”

* Asa Ericksson works for the African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET).
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