Introduction
In July 2024, orientation began for the MATI participants after a competitive application process that was open to WILPF members and members in the MenEngage Africa networks. The participants began a month-long online programme with two courses on Gender, Violence, and Post-Conflict States and Men, Boys and Masculinities, respectively, both administered on edX.org, an educational platform, in coordination with GRÓ-GEST1. The online component of the course was tailored for the MATI participants and included course materials in English and French. A community of learning was established during July where participants shared videos with their background, supported each other shared assignments.
Following the online course, participants arrived in Nairobi for the in-person training residential institute.
MATI – an initiative of Sonke Gender Justice and MenEngage Africa – seeks to expand the skills and knowledge of women and men in Africa to scale up work on engaging men and boys in gender equality and build a network of leaders and gender justice advocates. First convened in 2012 and now in its eighth iteration, MATI 2024 covered modules on conflict, gender and peacebuilding, international human rights frameworks to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda and the Youth, Peace and Security. We also learned about the root causes and structural drivers of conflict and violence and the role of male allies in achieving peace, including highlights from ongoing programmes in Cameroon, Nigeria and South Sudan. We also explored joint advocacy opportunities such as the African Union’s (AU) Silencing the Gun Campaign, the AU Declaration on Positive Masculinities, UNSCR 1325 and UN Human Rights Council Resolution 35/10.
We began the in-person MATI training with a gender values clarification exercise where we discussed our views and values around gender and care and militarism and men. The discussions showed that – even though we all come from gender-aware backgrounds – there are still different views on how militarised men are perceived in society and our biases in terms of whether enacting violence is socially constructed and whether men are inherently more violent than women. To get to know each other, we also took part in an exercise knitting our life trajectories. Our collective journeys were inspiring, and we realised the need to continue building transcontinental alliance-building for feminist peace in Africa!
In a powerful presentation by Lisette Mavungu Thamba, the President of WILPF in the Democratic Republic of Congo we learnt of the gendered impact of conflict in her country, including the use of rape as a weapon of war.
Structural drivers of conflict and violence
During this day, we delved into the root causes and structural drivers of conflict and violence. This framework has been instrumental for WILPF’s MMFP initiative to understand how violence and militarised masculinities feed off each other and how they flourish due to structural drivers. Through our original and holistic approach to research, we have analysed this in different countries.
During the session, Dean Peacock, MMFP Project Director shared some detailed examples of structural drivers, including:
- Repression at the hands of the state, military or the police is a driver of men’s violence that is increasing with the prevalent militarisation of police forces worldwide. In this regard, we are seeing more police forces in camouflage and with bigger guns.
- Corruption, ends up robbing the majority of critical services and support and generating the resentments that can accelerate conflict. We learned that in one country in Africa, the state spent more than 15 times on state cars than on youth empowerment programmes.
- Structural adjustment programmes pushed on African countries by international financial institutions are a big driver of conflict because they lead to austerity measures, this impacts social welfare programmes, also leading to mass privatization of companies. In the past, this has led to loss of jobs in the public sector which was a critical source of income and stability for communities especially in the West African context. Fewer jobs and services and more inequality often means more conflict.
- Poverty and destitution caused by corruption, austerity measures and self-serving elites have pushed more men into militarisation to make money and put food on the table. This was noted in WILPF research on Cameroon.
Edwick Madzimure, President of WILPF Zimbabwe highlighted the relationship between inequality, extractive industries, armed violence, conflict and gender in Zimbabwe. Here is what she had to say:
In one of the most highly-evaluated sessions of the week, Mpiwa Mangwiro, the Policy, Development and Advocacy Manager at Sonke Gender Justice, led group work and discussions on the root causes of conflict in different settings, using the conflict of tree exercise. In all settings, participants could identify and relate to the structural drivers referred to by the speakers.
The Agendas: Women Peace and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS)
Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo, WILPF’s International President, gave a powerful presentation on the history of the WPS agenda and highlighted the current opportunities and challenges for African countries.
We learned that in Africa, 36 countries have National Action Plans (NAPs) on UN Resolution 1325. One third of the NAPs in the world are in Africa. 20 countries are on their first NAPs while others are already implementing their second and third.
Sandrine Loriane Alapini, a member of WILPF Togo said that “in Togo, we used Resolution 1325 on advocacy efforts on sexual violence which was used in conflict, but we also used it with other resolutions such as Resolution 2250 because we wanted to have an inclusive approach and include young girls and women in the discussions.”
She added that Togo has made some advances in women’s political participation.
Regina Outtara, the President of WILPF Burkina Faso said that “our first two NAPs were difficult to implement due to internal challenges in the country, right now, we are on our third NAP, and it is under the Ministry of Humanitarian Action. To implement it, we are working in coalition with many actors, state and non-state organisations.”
Steven Maina from Men Engage Alliance in Kenya said that Resolution 1325 supported in increasing women’s political participation and also the formation of the women’s situation room to monitor elections.
Richard Njenga who is also part of Men Engage Alliance in Kenya added that, “Kenya’s commitment to the WPS agenda is transforming how peace and security are approached, and we are seeing more women as key players in peacebuilding, combating gender-based violence, and ensuring that gender perspectives are integral to national security efforts.”
When it comes to the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, Georgina Mabezere from the MenEngage Alliance shared how Zambian youth are exploited during this very polarising period. She noted that in many African countries, youth are marginalised and their agency is undermined and this is especially true during elections.
WILPF maintains an online resource providing analysis of each country’s National Action Plan.
Policy Frameworks and Programmes: Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace
Mabel Sengendo Nabaggala, the Regional Unit Manager at Sonke Gender Justice spoke to the participants about the Kinshasa Declaration and the Call for Action of the African Union Heads of State on Positive Masculinity in Leadership to End Violence Against Women and Girls in #Africa. In this video, she gave us a recap of its most important components and how to effectively use it for advocacy purposes.
Whether policies are in place or not, participants shared initiatives they are spearheading in the continent to engage men and boys. WILPF Cameroon shared their work with traditional leaders, journalists and judges– among key male allies – to educate them about peaceful conflict resolution and Resolution 1325. MenEngage Nigeria shared insights of the culturally sensitive workshops and trainings that educate men and boys about gender equality, non-violent conflict resolution, and the importance of peace; the engagement of religious and traditional leaders who can champion and reinforce gender equality and peace and the training of male police officers to support victims of gender-based violence. Finally, MenEngage South Sudan 2 shared their work trying to destigmatise mental health issues and their work for youth on peace issues.
A force to reckon with
On the final day of the training, we had the opportunity to host Nyambura Mundia as a guest speaker. Mundia is a Kenyan activist and host of the Swaiba -the Audible African Woman Podcast. She shared with us her experience of activism over the last few months, including the central role played by women and the innovative use of social media to mobilise protesters. The participants expressed their utmost solidarity with the people of Kenya leading a peaceful struggle for rights, including the scrapping of the tax bill – but that encountered a violent state repression that ended with at least 30 people dead and hundreds injured.
Here is what we’ve learned:
Angelica Pino, WILPF’s MMFP Coordinator reflected on the training course. In her own words, the MenEngage Africa Training Institute was about:
- Coming together in-person and being generous with our knowledge
- Being optimistic about what we can do individually and as a group.
- Learning about critical issues to support our activism and about the struggles of other countries in Africa.
Resources
- For more context on what is happening in Kenya, read our recent interview with Dr Lydia Atambo Omwansa, the President of WILPF Kenya.
- You can take the “Gender, Violence and Post-Conflict States” taken by our participants for free by clicking here.
- To read more about our research, visit our Research page here.
- If you want to read more about what our partners wrote on the MATI, check out the following articles:
