Men play a vital role in providing leadership and security for their immediate family, and must be encouraged to take and pay keen interest in what goes on in their community. Bringing a group of men together with specific interest will boost the peace, security and stability of the society. Men are the highest income earners in the community. Getting men to relinquish some of their control and dominance to policy and decision making in the community could be a herculean task.
CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE AND PRAGMATIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (CIPDI) has championed the engaging of men in smaller groups and sensitizing them to the important roles, women and youths play in the economic growth, stability, security and peace of the community. We have made tremendous progress in these areas by enlightening the men through conferences, workshops, facilitating town hall meetings, the need to relax certain traditions that are not favorable to women, and young people.
These small men groups have become instrument and agents of change to influence others men to talk opening about certain issues that were taboo to mention in the past. Our approach has been holistic to get everybody in the family involved. No matter how much empowerment and training given to young people and women, without the support of the men in the family and community the women, and young people can only go so far before been shot down by the dominant men.
Using this model of incorporating the men in the community in empowering the women, and young people we have noticed a great deal of progress and confidence in the women and young people to participate in politics, community discussions, and economic development. In each community with the support of the men, we have noticed and recorded women ingenuity and economic success as well as a decline in abuse and violence against women.
These men groups have become the voice of the women and they are empowering the women to make their voice be heard.
