When men promote women’s rights

Various organisations that work with and for women organize various advocacy activities to mark the campaign. This year’s theme is ‘Working with the police to end gender based violence (GBV): From peace at home to peace in the community’. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development which is the country’s gender ministry yesterday […]

Various organisations that work with and for women organize various advocacy activities to mark the campaign. This year’s theme is ‘Working with the police to end gender based violence (GBV): From peace at home to peace in the community’. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development which is the country’s gender ministry yesterday organised a media event to promote the National Action Plan NAP developed to guide the country’s implement the United Nation’s Security Council Resolution UNSCR1325 on involvement of women in peace building.
The Kenya based African Centre for Women and Children is also marking the campaign with a cyber dialogue discussion and it is inviting activists to join in the activity. The topic for discussion will be the ‘Response by Police and government to gender based violence’. It is inviting activists to link up at www.awcfs.org/chat from 11.00 am EAT on 4 December 2013.
Equality Now is using the campaign to fund raise for implementation of its activities. It drew attention to the fact that Tuesday December 3 2013 is GivingTuesday, an international movement to add a day of charity to the holiday season. Sadly this period is also ‘the beginning of a season where millions of girls around the world will experience a very different holiday season. In places like the Pokot region of Kenya, thousands of girls between the ages of 10 to 21 are particularly at risk during school breaks of undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM), a human rights violation that involves the partial or total removal of the female genitalia’. It called on all to become advocates for change by joining the Giving Tuesday movement and donating $25, $50, or $100.
The donation will be used to support ongoing work with Tasaru Ntomonok Initiative, Women Rights Institute for Peace, and Cana Rescue Centre in Kenya to ensure that strong FGM laws are applied to protect girls from this practice and will help the NGOs to keep girls safe at home, at school and in their communities.
For me, the most exciting event is the male involvement in the campaign to promote women’s rights. The UN Secretary General established a Network of Men Leaders to end Violence against Women. On 23rd October, 2012, the UN Secretary General appointed 39 leaders across the world as network of men leaders to end violence against women.
‘The network  is made up of current and former politicians, civil society and youth activists, religious and community leaders, cultural figures and other prominent individuals. The network currently has 39 members including Mr Franco Frattini (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy) and Mr Jerzy Buzek (President of the European Parliament). From Africa, there are four members, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, Mr Kumi Naido (Secretary General of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation), Mr Emmanuel Ochora (Co-founder of the Gulu Youth for Action (GYFA) in Uganda and Dr Otive Igbuzor of Nigeria.  The network believes that men have a crucial role to play as fathers, friends, decision makers, and community and opinion leaders in speaking out against violence against women and ensuring that attention is given to the issue. Men can provide positive role models for young men and boys based on healthy models of masculinity.
Here in Nigeria, the Network was introduced to us by an acknowledged gender activist Dr Otive Igbuzor. He observed that ‘it is well established that violence against women and girls is a huge challenge and an obstacle to development across the world. It has been recognized as an obstacle to the achievement of the objectives of equality, development and peace.  In recent years, there is an increased reportage or incidence of violence against women and girls across the world. There is no doubt that accelerated development which is greatly needed across the world cannot take place without addressing the challenges of violence against women and girls.
Over the years, several attempts have been made to tackle the problem of violence against women and girls but the challenge remains daunting. In recent years, governments, scholars and the international community have taken greater interest on matters relating to violence against women and girls.
The acts of violence against women and girls are numerous and include domestic violence, rape, incest, child sexual abuse, forced prostitution, sexual harassment, physical assault, acid bath, harmful traditional practices (widowhood rites, female genital mutilation, male child preference etc) economic deprivation, neglect and abandonment etc.
The problem of violence against women is a global phenomenon. The World Health Organisation (WHO) report indicates that at least one in five of the world’s female population, has been physically or sexually abused by a man or men at some point in their life. It has been documented that wife abuse is the leading cause of injury among women of reproductive age in the United States and that 4,835 “dowry related deaths” were recorded in India in 1990. It has been estimated that 85 to 114 million women and girls have been subjected to female genital mutilation, the majority of them in Africa. One in three Nigerian women and girls aged 15-24 have been victims of violence.
Violence against women is not only a human rights issue but also a development issue because of the link between poverty, human insecurity and violence. Men and boys can engage in practical work to eliminate violence against women by speaking out publicly against violence against women; working on themselves to change their attitude and behaviour; serve as mentor or good role model for others to emulate; take action as a neighbour, friend, classmate, co-worker, teammate or even someone unknown to you whenever you encounter violence against women or work as allies with women to eliminate violence against women.
It is in recognition of the role that men and boys can play that the Secretary General set up the Network of Men Leaders. The launch of the network is a part of the growing effort to include men as part of the solution to ending violence against women. The network supports the work of women around the world to defy destructive stereotypes, embracing equality and inspire men and boys everywhere to speak out against violence. The network is set up in recognition of the fact that many men are uncomfortable with stereotypical and violent behaviour towards women and would intervene to end violence against women and girls.’
We welcome the establishment of this vital network and commend the UN Secretary General for this initiative.