UN Women Kenya and Unesco are working towards intentional male engagement as the frontline champions to prevent femicide
and violence against women and girls.
Male involvement is one of the most crucial
strategies to end pervasive violence and femicide, against women
and girls.
According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Eliud Lagat, roughly one woman killed in Kenya every day.
UN Women, in a statement, said it is actively
collaborating with partners and stakeholders to implement initiatives that are focused
on male engagement and capacity building, aiming to enhance their role in
curbing violence against women and girls.
The initiatives also promote a deeper understanding of
the social construction of masculinities, tailored to specific cultural and
societal contexts.
Further, UN Women Kenya and Unesco said they are working on mechanisms that will integrate young men into the National Male Engagement and Inclusion Strategy.
“Male counterparts are defenders of women and girls that are suffering in every community around the world. While the women’s and the young women’s movements must continue to lead the movement for gender equality, we need to engage boys and young men more intentionally to achieve gender equalityas well as preventing femicide and violence against women and girls,” said Sebastian Gatimu, the planning and coordination expert, UN Women Kenya.
Male engagement is an approach to constructively involve men and boys for the benefit of both genders, ultimately ending ending violence against women and girls.
The National Young Male Dialogue, hosted by UN Women Kenya
and Unesco, examined the transformative impact that can be realized in
engaging men as change agents to end femicide. The forum
also delved on how how
gender norms shape the experience of men and boys as well as understanding the stereotypes on men and boys.
“Men can support gender equality by advocating for women's rights, endorsing gender-sensitive policies, and participating in gender equality-led campaigns to raise awareness on women empowerment. Many men are starting to challenge the pressure associated with traditional masculinity. They are using their voices and privilege to shift norms and perceptions about gender, and are working to address the patriarchal beliefs, practices, institutions, and structures that have contributed to inequality between men and women. Men’s participation in helping to shape the future of gender roles and relations is crucial,” Gatimu added.
A country like Kenya is targeting to end gender-based violence by 2026. Men will play a huge role in actualising such goals. Additionally, the Kenya National Policy on Gender and Development of 2019promotes male involvement in managing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). This is a huge step towards ensuring that male’s involvement is gender-sensitive in both public and private spheres.
