Advocacy is a set of targeted actions directed at changing policies, positions or programmes. Advocacy Networks are groups of organizations and individuals working together to achieve changes in policy, law, or programs for a particular issue.

The United Nations has continuously called for engaging men and boys in gender equality. Measurement of progress on the Millennium Development Goals reveals that progress has been made in empowering women. However, progress in areas that require engaging men – reducing violence against women, increasing women’s income relative to men’s, and reducing inequalities related to the care burden – is left far behind.

Sonke Gender Justice Network and MenEngage Africa, in collaboration with Instituto Promundo, will, with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), conduct an International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) in Zambia and the Eastern DRC.

The UN Trust Fund project seeks to engage men to strengthen the implementation of GBV laws and policies and promote gender equality in Kenya, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. This project will be running over a period of 3 years from September 2011 until August 2014.

Sonke Gender Justice 
University of Cape Town
MenEngage Africa Training Initiative

Masculinities, Leadership and Gender Justice Training course
Cape Town, South Africa
16-26 September 2013 

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: DEADLINE: FRIDAY 31 MAY 2013

Sonke Gender Justice Network, the MenEngage Africa Network and the Women’s Health Research Unit at the University of Cape Town are proud to host the second MenEngage Africa Training Initiative course: ‘Masculinities, Leadership and Gender Justice in Sub-Saharan Africa’, to be held from 16-26 September 2013 at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

If you experience trouble using the on-line application form, please download this word copy and return the completed application form to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by 31 May 2013.

To apply for this training course, complete the online application at: www.menengage.org/mati2013application.

About the course

‘Masculinities, Leadership and Gender Justice in Sub-Saharan Africa’ is a short, intensive, ten-day residential course which seeks to expand the skills and knowledge of women and men in the Sub-Saharan Africa region to scale up work on engaging men and boys in gender equality, and build a network of leaders and gender justice advocates. In so doing, it aims to strengthen existing work on the greater involvement of men and boys in the prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV and AIDS, fatherhood, LGBTI rights and other issues pertaining to gender equality.

The course will incorporate a mix of thematic and skills-building sessions - covering both theoretical and practical components - as well as a site visit and daily opportunity for self-reflection.  Thematic sessions will address the topics mentioned above, while the skills building sessions will specifically address leadership (including youth leadership), organisational development, research methods, advocacy, resource mobilisation and monitoring and evaluation.   

As part of the training, participants are expected to submit a ‘Project for Change’ proposal, which will be refined during the course and, most importantly, implemented within their respective organisations once the course is completed. The Project for Change is a project or programme that is applicable to engaging men for gender equality. It can focus on sexual and gender based violence, HIV and AIDS, sexual and reproductive health or, LGBTI rights to name a few potential thematic areas.  The project can be an existing one that needs to be expanded or strengthened, or a new initiative that must be implemented upon completion of the course. Through the implementation of the Project for Change, it is hoped that participants will be able to practically employ the additional skills and knowledge gained from this training. 

To assist participants with the implementation of their Projects for Change, the course incorporates a six month Mentorship Programme. This mentorship component is a critical aspect of the training as it seeks to provide participants with ongoing support and guidance as they implement their projects at the conclusion of the training. Participants can elect their own mentor or have one appointed for them. Ultimately, certification for the MenEngage Africa Training Initiative (MATI) will be based on satisfactory implementation of the Project for Change and thorough engagement in the Mentorship Programme.

The organisers trust that this course will contribute to the strengthening of both individual and organisational capacities, and it is with great pleasure you are hereby invited to apply to attend.

Summary of the First Course

From 20-30 August 2012, the first MenEngage Africa Training Initiative course ‘Masculinities, Leadership and Gender Justice in Sub-Saharan Africa’ took place at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. It brought together 23 participants (14 males and 9 females) from 13 African countries (Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe).

Course content was delivered by global and regional experts and leaders in the fields of gender, human rights and social justice, for example, on topics such as ‘Why Engage Men?’ and ‘Gender, Culture, Tradition and Religion.’ Evaluations from the first course indicated that participants found the training very useful and it increased their knowledge and skills by 41 %. This is a positive outcome demonstrating that the modules on the course were effective in transferring knowledge and skills to participants on how to work with men and boys for gender equality.

Target Audience

The course is intended for gender activists, programme staff and project managers from women’s rights, children’s rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV and AIDS, and LGBTI organisations, youth leaders, government officials, UN Agency representatives, donors, academics and media advocates.

Who is eligible?

The ideal candidate will:

You Are My Father.

More than four out of five men worldwide will be fathers at some point in their lives.

In addition to being fathers themselves, nearly all the world’s men have some connection to children as brothers, uncles, teachers, coaches or simply as friends. A growing and overwhelming body of evidence from the Global North and Global South confirms that engaged fatherhood is good for children, good for women and good for men themselves. Yet engaging men as caring, involved fathers and caregivers has seldom been the focus of our global efforts to engage men in gender equality.