By Mohamed J Kargbo
Men Engage Africa Alliance has called for urgent collective efforts to combat gender injustice and inequality on women and girls.
The call was made in their recent Annual General Meeting held at the Council of Churches- Sierra Leone (CCSL) hall at King Harman Road in Freetown.
Men Engage Africa is an alliance which Sierra Leone is a member. Their sole aim is to engage boys and men in reducing gender injustice and inequality, preventing HIV, ending gender based violence, and promoting the health and well-being of women, men and children across Africa.
Speaking at the AGM was Josephine Mukwendi, a specialist working for Men Engage. She noted that one sole aim of organizing the AGM was to build the capacity of their members.
She said 25 countries in Africa are members of the Men engage Africa Alliance.
She highlighted the importance of the AGM, saying that they wanted to meet with all member organizations and representatives of the alliance, so that they can discuss relevant issues on gender injustice and inequality, to come up with possible solutions, and a way forward.
Josephine highlighted some of the roles of the Steering Committee, which provides overall guidance and support to Men Engage Secretariat, work closely with the secretariat to meet the objectives of the Alliance and ensures compliance.
“For us to address gender inequality and injustice we need more men and boys because they have been seen as perpetrators of this crime against women and girls. We have them on board and educate them about the issues so that they will become advocates to others and the message will spread fast,” she said.
Hannah M Gillen, the country chair for Men Engage Africa Serra Leone Chapter, expressed her profound joy for holding a very important AGM that was focused on addressing gender inequality and injustice in the society,
She also sheds light on the laws that have been enacted to protect women’s right.
She noted that men and boy also have important roles when it comes to gender sensitization and that they will be doing more harm than good is men and boys are left out in the sensitization.
Hannah also noted that not only women and girls are facing gender injustice but men too.
She said men are ashamed of speaking out to the public about the issue. She highlighted some of their challenges they are facing as an alliance.
She concluded by reaffirming their commitment to end GVB issues, by taking the sensitization to their religious n places, schools, and communities.
