The Neighbourhood Environment Watch (NEW) Foundation says it will convene an inception meeting of the Male Feminist Network (MFN) in Abakaliki on Sept. 15.
Executive Director of the foundation, Dr Kelechi Okezie, said that the stakeholders meeting was a part of a broader efforts to mobilise men in the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the South-East.
Okezie NAN in Abakaliki yesterday that the initiative was aimed to build a strong coalition of male allies and women’s rights groups (WRGs) committed to promoting gender equality.
He said the network would serve as a platform to challenge harmful cultural norms, toxic masculinity and other practices that fuel violence against women and girls in Ebonyi and beyond.
He noted that mobilising men to actively participate in the fight against GBV was crucial to achieving sustainable results.
“The problem of gender-based violence is not just a women’s issue; it is a societal challenge that requires men to take responsibility and play active roles in ending it.
“Through this network, we are bringing men to the table as partners, not bystanders,” Okezie said.
He explained that participants at the inception meeting would include civil society organisations, women’s rights advocates, community leaders, and selected male champions drawn from across Ebonyi.
According to him, Nigeria has one of the highest prevalence rates of GBV in Africa, adding that the gathering would chart a roadmap for collective action.
He said the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS 2018) indicated that about 30 per cent of women aged 15–49 have experienced physical violence, while 9 per cent reported sexual violence.
He said such statistics underscored the urgency of collaborative interventions, stressing that the Male Feminist Network was designed to complement existing state and national frameworks on the elimination of violence against women and girls.
“The Ebonyi government has already shown commitment through the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law.
“But laws alone are not enough; we need social re-orientation and this begins with men acknowledging their roles as protectors, advocates and equal partners in building a safe society,” Okezie added.
Okezie, an environmentalist and social justice advocate, urged stakeholders in Ebonyi to support the project.
He pledged that the foundation would sustain the momentum through advocacy, training, and community-based awareness programmes targeting young people and traditional institutions.
The NEW Foundation is a sub-grantee of Centre LSD, National Male Feminist Network Project funded by Ford Foundation.