The African Union (AU) is leading a campaign to promote positive masculinity in the fight against violence against women and girls.
AU in its second Men’s Conference on Positive Masculinity Initiative in Dakar, Senegal, noted that Africa was desperately in need to address SGBV to the core.
The theme was ‘Advancing actions and promoting positive masculinity to end violence against women and girls.’
The initiative focuses on involving men in influential leadership positions to engage other men and boys in efforts to eliminate gender-based violence (GBV), a critical means of ending structural and institutional inequalities.
AU noted that while most men would never condone the use of violence against women, men are overwhelmingly the perpetrators of SGBV.
This status quo is frequently exacerbated during socioeconomic crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw a dramatic increase in gender-based violence, dubbed the “shadow pandemic.”
In collaboration with the African Women’s Leaders Network, the initiative is led by the Women, Gender, and Youth Directorate and the Office of the Special Envoy for Women, Peace, and Security.
It is predicated on enlisting men and boys in support of the larger movement for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.
