Male Engagement in Gender Equality

IFAGE developed a contextualized training curriculum, which we use to train and educate men, community leaders and religious actors on Positive Masculinity & Biblical Equality. This curriculum helps to nurture a culture where women and men are equally valued and given equal space in church and society to exercise their leadership, potential, and giftings without discrimination, prejudice, or stereotypes based on gender.

This initiative strategically target community leaders, including gatekeepers and religious actors, to harness the potential of men in the local community to end domestic abuse and gender based violence. We equip men to help address harmful social gender norms, inequal power dynamics, patriarchal culture, and attitudes in the church and society that continue to devalue women and girls based on gender.

After they are trained, these leaders become community gender champions and curriculum facilitators themselves, further scaling local training in their respective community groups, villages, and churches for sustainable change.

The male engagement program addresses gender equality issues in three parts:

Sexual & Reproductive Health Education

IFAGE is passionate about women’s health and safety and promote sexual/reproductive health education in churches, schools, womens groups, and community youth groups to prevent teenage pregnancy, HIV infections, and gender based violence.

IFAGE has adopted age-appropriate and faith-inspired tools and manuals on sexual health for teens, adolencents, and young adults, which we are currently implementing in 15 schools and seven churches in Kenya. Our plan is to cover and reach out to 50 more schools and 30 churches by 2027.

Popularly known as, “Meaningful Youth Engagement on Sexual Reproductive Health”, this initiative equips and builds up young people as ambassadors of sexual and reproductive health among their peers. The project also involves the youth in budget advocacy to ensure that youth sexual health priorities are considered in government budget allocation.

This intiative is uniquely supportive of women-specific health needs on reproductive health, rights, and safety, and address issues such as maternal health, access to healthcare services, and protection against sexual and domestic violence.

Survivors Support Network

IFAGE supports survivors of sexual violence with both social and legal support. We have developed a system to help track survivors within the community and link them with community support systems, including local chiefs, police, and paralegals for support and protection. Trained paralegals, community gender champions, and youth peer mentors provide crucial assistance, helping to identify survivors and link them with the IFAGE office for essential support.

Involving our trained male community gender champions in suporting survivors is causing many men and faith actors to understand the deep harm and consequences of gender based violence in their own local communities for the first time. Curently, IFAGE support four survivors’ support groups within the church in Siaya county, Kenya. Through monthly meetings, these survivors receive mental health support, legal support, ecomonic activities for their livelihoods, and a community of people who understand what they have endured.

Lillian, one of the survivors in our support group, has graciously shared her story and the impact of IFAGE’s programs on her life. You can read it here >>>

In 2018, five years ago, a local chief from Gem Sub-County in Siaya, Kenya visited our office to seek support for a young girl of 14 years old. We listened to the chief’s plea for the girl’s need of education, as well as her inspirational story of overcoming great adversities. She arrived at a point of vulnerability, having endured the atrocities of gender-based violence in addition to growing up as an orphan. Even though she was sexually abused, her broken spirit remained steadfast, and she dreamed of not only getting better herself but also being a lighthouse for countless other women and girls in her community.

Through our partners’ support, IFAGE enrolled her at a Girls’ School in Bondo and provided her with a safe space, scholarship support, and the psychosocial care she needed to rebuild her life.

Fast forward to today, with our hearts bursting with pride, we announce that Mercy is now embarking on a new chapter of her journey. This remarkable young woman stood tall against adversity and stayed focused to attain the best grades in High School. Mercy is now starting her studies at a prestigious University in Kenya, where she will pursue her dream of studying law. Through her education, she aims not only to seek justice for herself but to be the voice for countless other women and girls who suffers sexual and gender based violence.