The project has designed activities to reach the community at the grassroots level. We conduct community sensitization seminars which are educative forums at the community level for prevention. Community sensitization workshops culminate in the development of plan of action at individual and community level. These forms a basis for future follow up activities.

Men’s Traveling Conference (MTC) is observed during the 16 days of activism against gender based violence every year. The campaign goes straight to the community targeting people who may otherwise be unable to attend a formal conference. For a long time men in Kenya have remained passive to issues raised about violence mainly because of the socialization hence the need for this project. Our project target men however the primary beneficiaries of our products are women and families which are able to get support from their transformed husbands and men.

This is a short term high impac

Awareness Campaigns:
The 16 days of activism is a powerful platform for awareness on gender based violence and other human rights issues. Since 2003 MEGEN has marked the 16 days with the Men’s Traveling Conference (MTC). The activity brings together a team of activist’s men and women from all walks of life to an awareness campaign trip across the country. The campaign is multifaceted and has education, awareness, research and network building components in all the communities reached. The activities also help in awareness creation; recruitment drive and establishment of new contacts at the community level for future follow up. The campaign uses drama, facilitation and lectures to communicate to the communities across villages, towns and communities.

Our project uses the men to men strategy to combat gender based violence. This strategy involves working with gender sensitised men talking to other men while capitalizing on patriarchy as a platform for discussing action against violence.

• Advocacy through service where men offer support services to the victims of gender based violence, this adds the men’s voice in condemning violence and putting perpetrators on notice to end violence.

• Capacity building and training of men to be gender activists and trainers helps in reaching men with the right information with confidence on ending gender based violence at formal and informal forums;

• Multimedia campaign develops messages and materials into different mediums like posters, T shirts. The messages are also translated to reach people with only basic education. Other multimedia channels include radio interview contribution to the newspaper debates and writing of articles

• Experience Sharing is away of showing transformation. The experience sharing acts like a forum where members declare their stand and the community is able to audit their action and to motivate other men that change is possible.

• Participatory Theatre involves the use of performing artists developing plays and drama on gender based violence. The drama acts as a case study where members of the community used to reflect what taking place in the community.

The impact of the work is measured by:
• Number of people convinced that there is need for action against GBV and have joined the network;
• Request for multimedia materials by different communities;
• Responses from radio interviews and call in sessions;
• Participation by members of the community in the outreach campaigns
• Number of local networks created.
• Feedback and reports on gender related activities taking place in the communities organised by MEGEN members.
• Number of follow up activities initiated at the community level in partnership with the existing structures such as schools, DO, Chiefs barazas, churches

The Government of Kenya is one of the key stakeholders in the quest to end gender based violence because it is a signatory to the CEDAW and other international instruments that seek to end violence on women. Constitutionally the people of Kenya have mandated the government to protect them against all injustices hence the need for them to provide security to its citizens. We also work with other government institutions including the police as the law enforcement agents, the Ministry of Health in the provision of free medical services and the Judiciary in pursuit of justice to victims of gender based violence.

FEMNET chose the global campaign of the Sixteen Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women, held annually from November 25-December 10, as the entry point for its work with men for gender equality. A Men to Men Consultation on gender based violence (GBV), which was held in Nairobi in December 2001, and attended by 27 men from Kenya, Malawi, Namibia and South Africa was the first activity. The consultation culminated in the development of a plan of action, which specified follow-up actions at both the regional and national levels. Participants committed themselves to take action nationally and requested FEMNET to host the Regional Network of Men Against GBV. On the basis of this request, FEMNET developed a project and raised funds to support it, and has since created the Regional Network for Men Against Gender Based Violence. The Network has membership in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. The Kenyan Men for Gender Equality Now is one of the members of this Network.

The Kenyan Men for Gender Equality Now project is built from plans of action developed by Kenyan men who have participated in the network since December 2001. Over the years, the men’s group has become more confident, gained skills and experience, participated with men from other countries and expanded in numbers. They have also been motivated to build a strong project and have mapped out an outreach project for men in Kenya

• The project has grown fast in the last three years hence the need for autonomy from FEMNET. We are seeking institutional support to enable the project to scale up its activities turning it into an organisation.