By Michael Gwarisa
CIVIC Society organisations have joined hands with government and various organisations including religious and traditional groups in calling for the empowerment and inclusion of boys and men in the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV).
In an interview on the sidelines of the ongoing Youth Changing the River’s Flow symposium, SafAids Head of Programmes, Ngoni Chubukire said SafAids had embarked on a massive nationwide drive to engage all societal groups in the fight against GBV and strengthening participation by various groups in enhancing gender equality.
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“As an organisation, we are really pushing forward the agenda of working with men and boys. In the past decades, we have seen women’s rights organisations focusing on women and girls but that does not work, we have to work together as men, women, boys and girls to make a difference.
“So if we push forward the agenda of gender norms transformation, we actually kill tow birds with one stone. One, we are going to promote gender equality, and secondly. we are going to have better public health outcomes. So thats why we are pushing this agenda,” said Chibukire.
He added that the disparities that exists between boys and girls or men and women in terms of empowerment need to be addressed and more men need to be empowered and engaged for them to become better and reliable allies in the fight against GBV.
“For a long time we have been trying to empower girls and women to the extent that boys and men have been reduced to key populations. So in-order to reverse those issues, we have to engage men, work with them as partners and clients so that they take up these health services.”
SafAids is currently running numerous programs in-order to promote men’s participation in the fight against GBV and promoting equality. They have established what are called fatherhood clubs in 24 districts to push the agenda of the three Ps which are Partner support, Prevention of GBV, Presence.
Emthonjeni Women’s Forum Director, Sikhathele Matambo said the move to engage men and boys in the fight against GBV was a welcome that needs both private sector and government support.
“I think this is something attainable and i think this is something that probably as women’s organisations we have really been overlooking all along. It is very important because when you look at GBV, they are two parties involved here, the two sexes i.e the women and men, so really focusing on the women and leaving out the cause is kind of like a non starter.
“As Emtonjeni, we have been working men as agents of change, on one program we have male champions where we are training men to speak out and take action against GBV in their communities. We are also providing rehabilitative counseling, where we are focusing on the so called perpetrator of violence to make them see and realise the faults of their behavior so that they change,” said Matambo.
Meanwhile, UNAIDS Deputy Regional Director for eastern and southern Africa Pierre Somse there is need to refocus attention in the fight against gender based violence and can not be business as usual.
“Gender equality is one of the five pillars of new UNAIDS strategy of targeting to end AIDS by the year 2030. Evidence increasingly suggests that gender transformation is a game changer among for achieving this ambition by 2030.
“The face of new infection is that of a an adolescent girl, a young woman while the face of AIDS mortality is that of men and boys. Men and boys are less likely to be tested and get treatment, as a result more are likely to die of AIDS than their female counterparts,” said Somse.
He added that 50% of new infections in 2015 were among women and 90% of the infections occurred from sexual transmission. He also said men are less likely to know their HIV status or to get tested as compared to their female counterparts.
