Origin of the Initiative
FEMNET’s experience with the involvement of men in the movement towards gender equality dates back to 1990 when FEMNET launched its gender programme. Right from its first training activity, FEMNET laid down the principle that gender is about women, men, boys and girls; and about the different roles, responsibilities and social status that dictate how females and males in different settings behave or are treated. FEMNET established that gender is about power relations between females and males and that any changes must therefore involve both. Further, FEMNET adopted gender analysis in programming, using it at every level of intervention so that programming involved building concepts, skills and tools and using them for reflection, analysis, planning and application. Over the years, FEMNET has trained hundreds of women and men at all levels in several countries, notably Kenya, Malawi, Ethiopia, Swaziland and Uganda.
FEMNET chose the global campaign of the Sixteen Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women, held annually from November 25-December 10, as the entry point for its work with men for gender equality. A Men to Men Consultation on gender based violence (GBV), which was held in Nairobi in December 2001, and attended by 27 men from Kenya, Malawi, Namibia and South Africa was the first activity. The consultation culminated in the development of a plan of action, which specified follow-up actions at both the regional and national levels. Participants committed themselves to take action nationally and requested FEMNET to host the Regional Network of Men Against GBV. On the basis of this request, FEMNET developed a project and raised funds to support it, and has since created the Regional Network for Men Against Gender Based Violence. The Network has membership in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. The Kenyan Men for Gender Equality Now is one of the members of this Network.
The Kenyan Men for Gender Equality Now project is built from plans of action developed by Kenyan men who have participated in the network since December 2001. Over the years, the men’s group has become more confident, gained skills and experience, participated with men from other countries and expanded in numbers. They have also been motivated to build a strong project and have mapped out an outreach project for men in Kenya