MenEngage Africa joined the rest of the world in commemorating the International 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an annual campaign running from November 25th-the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women to December 10th-Human Rights Day. It was also an important year because it fell within the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a milestone global policy framework for advancing women’s rights.
The theme of this year’s campaign, “UNITE to End Violence Against Women and Girls,” calls for a collective action that should be done across all sectors in society. The Beijing Declaration emphasized the need to address systemic issues that perpetuate GBV, including cultural norms, economic disparities, and legal barriers.
MenEngage Africa’s engagement in this campaign covered 24 countries across the continent. In each country, various activities were organized, which were specifically tailored to the local context but within the broader goals of the campaign.
“This year’s 16 Days of Activism campaign provided a crucial opportunity to renew our commitment to ending violence against women and girls,” said Josephine Mukwendi, Sonke’s Regional Programme Specialist. “By working together with our partners across Africa, we can create a more just and equitable world where all women and girls can live free from fear and violence. “she adds.
MenEngage Africa continues its commitment beyond the 16 Days of Activism campaign, it emphasizes that ending violence against women requires sustained effort from all sectors of society. The lessons learned during this campaign will inform future strategies aimed at creating safer spaces for women and girls across Africa.
Here are some of the highlights from some MenEngage Africa networks
MenEngage Nigeria
On the 7th of December 2024, Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative hosted a X space under the theme; Unite for Change: Raising Awareness on Intersectional Discrimination and VAWG.” The X space focused on raising awareness about Intersectional discrimination and violence against women and girls. The objective was to enhance advocacy efforts geared towards ending violence against women and girls and to foster a supportive online community.
Listen here:
MenEngage South Sudan
MESS hosted several gender-based violence awareness sessions. One of them was a community sensitization session with over 50 participants focused on promoting gender equality as a human rights issue. The event involved stakeholders, including men, women, and youth from diverse backgrounds. Participants engaged through interactive sessions, group discussions, and role-playing activities, challenging gender stereotypes and encouraging inclusive attitudes. The event successfully achieved its key targets.
MESS also conducted sensitization sessions both through radio broadcasts, which actively involved the youth and other members of the network. The radio broadcasts talked of issues like “What does it mean to be a man within the context of South Sudan?”, “unpacking positive masculinity-a concept of everyday momentum,” and general attitudes in society around what it means to be a man. According to an estimated listenership conducted by management of Miraya Radio station, these talk shows may have reached more than 2 million people.
Listen here:
MenEngage DRC
In an effort to expand their reach and appeal to a wider audience, MenEngage DRC has effectively leveraged the use of media and the transformative power of art. Among their creative ventures is the production of a song that captures the essence of their message. The song, with powerful lyrics and captivating melodies, was aired on Zonart TV, an influential platform that attracts a considerable audience. This has been a very strategic decision to use music as a vehicle for social change, since it requires engagement at both emotional and cultural levels for listeners.
The broad vision of this musical initiative is to educate the audience about the critical issues related to gender-based violence and to bring a sense of urgency in the call for a final stop to such acts. This educative way not only informs the community but also mobilizes them into the ongoing fight against gender violence. MenEngage DRC seeks to ignite collective action and solidarity amongst people from diverse walks of life through the promotion of dialogue and personal reflection inspired by artistic expression.
Watch/Listen here:
MenEngage Cameroon
To commemorate 16 days of activism, Sustainable Women Organisation and Xhuma Africa under the umbrella of Men Engage Cameroon, held an inter generation dialogue in Fundong, Boyo division. To raise awareness on gender-based violence and communities’ role in eliminating it. This intergenerational dialogue featured 60 Participants comprised of women, girls, men and boys, thus providing an opportunity for different perspectives. While the participants unanimously agreed that gender –based violence is criminal, women indicated that economic empowerment, inclusion of women in leadership and decision-making spaces will go a long way to curb the incidence of violence against women and girls. Girls and boys called for conversations amongst parents and their children on issues around GBV so that girls in particular can open up if they are violated. They also advocated for equal opportunities for boys and girls to attain their full potential. All the groups strongly called for severe punishment for all perpetrators of violence against women and girls.