The efforts to cultivate positive masculinity and end VAWG must be a community undertaking involving both men and women across all social groups. Despite decades of efforts by multiple stakeholders, VAWG in Africa remains the most widespread and socially accepted form of human right violation, whose victims cut across borders, race, class, ethnicity, and religion. Vast majority of this violence is perpetrated by men and while most may never use or condone the use of violence, the fact is that men are overwhelmingly the perpetrators of VAWG. Others participate passively through their silence or excusing the behaviour of male aggressors.
To win this fight, men who hold decision making positions across different spheres must be brought on board as gender allies, not only to cause change at family level, but also to become gender champions in their workspaces and eco-systems. This will encourage them to actively advance positive masculinity, gender equality and women’s empowerment. Involving and engaging men in the fight to end VAWG has been proven to be a catalyst in the ending of the vice. The partnership is not only to see men end physical violence in spaces such as homes and workplaces, but also curb non-physical aggression meted on women and girls in the digital spaces where cyber-bulling and harassment are on the rise.
The African Union (AU) High-Level Presidential Response to End Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) was established in 2020 with a view to mobilize political commitment and action at the highest level of the AU leadership and decision-making to prevent and end Violence Against Women and Girls in Africa. Renamed to the AU High Level Presidential Initiative on Positive Masculinity in Leadership to End Violence Against Women and Girls in Africa, the Initiative is operationalized through the Annual AU Men’s Conferences and the multi-stakeholder pre-conference consultations with AU citizens.
The High-Level Men’s Conferences are convened by AU Chairpersons (current, former and incoming) since 2020 and the AU Gender Champions; AU Commission, and the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), with the support of UN Agencies, civil society, private sector, development partners, and other stakeholder.
The Inaugural AU Men’s Conference on Positive Masculinity in Leadership to End Violence Against Women and Girls in Africa, was held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in November 2021, under the leadership of H.E. Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the DRC and the 2021 AU Chairperson. The main outcome of the conference was the Kinshasa Declaration and Call to Action on Positive Masculinity in Leadership to End Violence Against Women and Girls, which was subsequently adopted as an AU Assembly Decision during the 35th Ordinary Session of the AU Heads of State and Government in February 2022. The Assembly also appointed H.E. President Felix Tshisekedi as the first AU Champion on Positive Masculinity.
The Second Men's Conference on Positive Masculinity in Leadership was held in November 2022 in Dakar, Senegal, under the leadership of H.E. Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal and the 2022 AU Chairperson. The Dakar Call to Action which seeks to accelerate implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration was adopted, where Heads of State committed to advance, promote, and accelerate actions to prevent, sustainably address, and end the scourge of violence against women and girls on the continent.
Drawing from the outcomes of the two conferences, the AU Heads of State and Government during the 36th Assembly held in February 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, adopted a historic decision to negotiate the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (AU CEVAWG). Once adopted, the CEVAWG will be the first continental legal instrument for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls, showing African leadership in efforts to EVAWG globally.
As is customary, the 3rd Men’s Conference will be convened in collaboration with AWLN and the members of the Circle of Champions on Positive Masculinity who, in their own right, have pushed the agenda at the highest level of the AU policy making. For example, the President of Ghana, H.E. Nana Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his capacity as the AU Champion on Gender and Development Issues in Africa consistently includes Positive Masculinity and EVAWG in his progress reports to the AU Assembly and tables decisions before AU Summits for adoption; the President of Senegal, H.E. Macky Sall sponsored the decision for the adoption of the EVAWG Campaign, which was subsequently adopted by the Assembly chaired by H.E. President Assoumani. The President of the DRC, in his capacity as the AU Positive Masculinity Champion has led calls for greater accountability and investment in gender equality and women’s empowerment including in key international platform such as UN General Assembly. The AWLN Patron, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, pioneered the importance of harnessing male political leadership in the Continent as critical to complement the efforts of women in leadership over many decades towards ending VAWG and specifically requested the convening of the Men’s Conference.
Learn more about the 1st conference here
Learn more about the 2nd conference here.
