Regional Workshop OnPositive Masculinity and GBV Workshop

Today 21st April 2025, we join changemakers from across Africa at the Regional Workshop on #PositiveMasculinity to challenge harmful gender norms and reimagine leadership grounded in respect, empathy&equity. A safer, inclusive future begins with conversations like these. Gender Equality can’t be achieved by women alone. At the workshop, we’re centering survivor voices & confronting GBV at its roots—patriarchy, silence & toxic masculinity.With dialogue&collective action, we’re nurturing a new kind of masculinity, positive, empathetic&accountable.

Women face violence at home, school and workplace with 40% of women aged 19 to 45 years have experienced GBV. Weak enforcement of justice sends a message of impunity to the perpetrators. Positive Masculinity challenges men to become allies in the fight against GBV considering the alarming rise in femicide. They should reject violence and act as champions of change. GBV perpetuates cycles of poverty and strains our justice system. Families are also torn apart and communities are de-stabilized while the social fabric of society is weakened. 

The AU Convention, the first continental treaty aimed at ending GBV is the starting point of this workshop. This is because this workshop is a platform to ratify the above treaty. GBV robs girls and women of their dignity so that behind every statistic is a life that has been altered. We should move from reactive to proactive and from silence to speaking. 

We should get rid of outdated ideology that says men should avoid empathy. Men should have empathy rather than having ego. Being a man is also not about being loud, it is how safe are the female gender around us. Kisumu County is the 2nd county to have a GBV policy. It is not a tick the box, it involves partnering with other partners for example PLAN International to advance the cause of social justice.