Press Release
U.S. Government Urges Men to Help Combat Gender-based Violence
October 15, 2009. Lusaka
Lusaka – With funding from the U.S. government, A Safer Zambia, a sexual and gender-based violence prevention and response program, today launched The Men’s Network. Embracing the idea that all members of society must work together to banish violence against women, the Men’s Network engages men to act as agents of change in their families and communities to combat sexual and gender-based violence.
The Men’s Network mission is to create an organization of men who will influence individuals, communities and institutions to fight gender-based violence and embrace gender equality and human rights as social norms. Working with a broad range of men – boys, youth, adults, traditional, religious and community leaders – the program hopes to increase understanding of the traditional and cultural drivers of sexual and gender-based violence. Based on this understanding, members of the Network are developing new models for responding to sexual and gender-based violence within their communities.
The main activities of the Men’s Network are community outreach and the monthly Insaka. The Insaka is a meeting of all members of the Network to discuss topics related to masculinity and sexual and gender-based violence. By actively discussing these topics, members of the Men’s Network seek to change themselves and initiate and support changes in their peers. Eventually, gender relationships in Zambia can shift towards a more egalitarian ideal. In this manner, it is hoped that sexual and gender-based violence in our communities can be eradicated.
The Men’s Network is funded by the U.S. government under the Presidential Women’s Justice and Empowerment Initiative. The Men’s Network is being rolled out in eight sites around the country: Chipata, Mazabuka, Livingstone, Kitwe, Ndola, Kabwe, and two in Lusaka.
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