Men to men activities/activites du project men to men.

• Position: NEWS FROM FEMNET SECRETARIAT/NOUVELLES DU SECRETARIAT DE FEMNET

1. Community Seminars and follow-up visits:

   After a successful Men's Traveling Conference (MTC) 2004 which took 70 gender activists to Central, Western and Coastal regions of Kenya, the Men for Gender Equality Now network has been in contact with the visited communities through letters, telephone conversations, e-mails and short messages service (SMS) on post MTC follow-up activities.

   The network was able to organize and facilitate community seminars in parts of Nairobi, Western and Central Kenya. Network members visited communities in Teso, Busia and Kakamega who had asked for follow up activities during the MTC. In Teso, participants of the community seminar included 15 chiefs, their assistants and other community leaders. During the follow-up, we visited one man who had benefited from the first seminar and had made great strides including mobilizing men in a local church where he ministers. In Kakamega, the team that participated in the community seminar initiated an organization that would ensure that women and men work together to end gender-based violence and carry out other developmental work in the community. The organization registered as a community based organization in Mukonja. Participants of the community seminar in Busia requested that the MTC 2005 take them to visit other areas of Kenya to practically see the effect of gender inequality. The Nairobi activities have led to an increase in the number of new members participating in the Men for Gender Equality Now monthly meetings.

   After the community seminars, the network now understands the needs of communities visited. In the next phase, the network will use the already established relationships and community plans of actions to empower men in the communities to work towards ending GBV.

2. Human Rights and Gender Advocates Conduct week long Father Kaiser campaigns:

   A team of human rights organizations visited Naivasha to create awareness of gender-based violence (GBV) and offer free legal aid in commemoration of the death of the late Father John Kaiser. Father John Kaiser strongly defended humane values and denounced GBV that was rife in Rift Valley province, of which Naivasha is part. He was killed under mysterious circumstances five years ago in Naivasha.

   Organizers of the free legal aid clinic included Kenya Human Rights Commission, Kenya National Human Rights Commission, FEMNET (Men for Gender Equality Now), Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA-Kenya)...