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  • Positive Masculinities: Working with young men to combat Gender based violence in Kikuyu Sub County

    Positive Masculinities: Working with young men to combat Gender based violence in Kikuyu Sub County

    Training of Soccer Coaches and Managers:

    CEEC with support from DKA Austria conducted a four days’ training for soccer coaches and managers from Kikuyu Sub – County on how they can embrace positive masculinities as a way of preventing and appropriately responding to gender based violence. The training took place from 31st January to 3rd February 2017 at the Victorian House, Kikuyu. The 26 young men who participated in the training were drawn from football teams based in five wards in Kikuyu Sub – County namely, Karai, Sigona, Nachu, Kikuyu and Kinoo.

    The training was informed by the fact that the perpetrators of gender based violence in Kikuyu Sub County fall under the youth age bracket. Under the project, CEEC has trained two previous groups of young men in 2014 and 2015 respectively and this training was building on that work. The training helped the young men to start making a connection between flawed masculinities and gender based violence. They also began to understand how serious the problem of male disempowerment is and how it leads to a host of problems for men, women and children. By the end of the training, the young men were able to appreciate that violence of any kind is not an expression of manhood but rather, it stems from disempowerment. Another achievements was that the Kikuyu network of male champions against gender based violence had acquired 26 new members!

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  • Murang’a County Assembly Women Aspirant’s Training

    Murang’a County Assembly Women Aspirant’s Training

    Under the project Women and Governance: Building the Capacity of Murang’a County Assembly Women Aspirants to vie for the 2017 General Elections, CEEC with support from GIZ/CPS carried out a five days’ training of 18 women from Murang’a County aspiring to become Members of County Assembly in 2017. The women were drawn from six Sub Counties namely, Gatanga, Kandara, Kangema, Mathioya, Maragua and Kiharu. The training was held from the 30th of October 2016 to the 4th of November 2016 at Nokras Hotel, Murang’a and it aimed at strengthening the aspirants’ capacity to vie for the 2017 general elections.
    Many women are knocked out of elections due to lack of understanding of the electoral process, lack of resources and skills. The training therefore covered topics like party and IEBC nominations, electoral timelines, preparation of personal manifestos, personal branding, resource mobilization, campaign management and personal presentation. It was anchored within a gender framework to help the aspirants not only understand the engendered nature of the challenges they face but also how to deal with them. Fortunately, the Murang’a County Member of Parliament popularly known as the Woman Representative came to the training and shared the challenges she has faced and continues to face as well as practical ways in which she deals with these challenges.
    To give them a feel of what to expect if they won, the trainees were taken on a learning tour of Murang’a County Assembly. They attended a session and were later given a talk on how business is conducted in the house. This helped demystify the County Assembly which some of them were entering for the first time. At the end of the training, the women had a better understanding of the electoral process as well as enhanced skills on how to run their campaigns.
  • Governance Project Evaluation – Burnt Forest

    Governance Project Evaluation – Burnt Forest

    On 25th October 2016 CEEC conduted an evaluation of the project Building the Capacity of Communities in Burnt Forest for gender inclusive civic engagement and participatory governance. Under the project, a total of 63 community leaders, both men and women, were trained on participatory and gender inclusive governance in July 2016. The leaders were from eight farms in Burnt Forest namely, Lingway, Kamuyu, Rukuini, Kaplelach, Ndungulu, Chuiyat, Barekeiywo and Kagongo. The trainees then conducted dialogue forums in their respective farms in October 2016 in order to sensitize other community members ahead of the general election next year. The thrust of the project is to ensure that women who are normally excluded from governance and decision making processes are able to enjoy their rights and discharge their duties and responsibilities. The project’s focus is not only the general elections but also other processes at the family and community levels. During the forums, CEEC was able to assess the trainees’ understanding of gender inclusive governance as well as skills such as facilitation, communication and mobilization. At the evaluation meeting, the trainees first assessed themselves after which CEEC gave them feedback on their performance. The evaluation was meant to help them prepare for the next set of forums which will take place in December 2016.

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  • Baba Dogo MCA going beyond the call of duty!

    Baba Dogo MCA going beyond the call of duty!

    It is true that MCAs have only three roles namely, legislation, representation and oversight. However, due to the dire need on the ground, it has been very difficult for the MCAs to strictly confine themselves to these roles. Take MCA Shadrack Juma from Baba Dogo ward for example. His ward is grossly underdeveloped despite it being home to very many industries. Indeed, the expectation would be that these industries would discharge their Corporate Social Responsibility duties and help develop the ward. Instead, some of the industries have contributed to environmental degradation among other problems faced by the residents of the ward. Issues raised on Sauti Mtaani include insecurity, poor state of roads, youth unemployment, water and air pollution as well as health problems resulting from the unclean environment. In response to the issue of roads, the MCA has mobilized resources and construction of Kariadudu, Riverside and Kasabuni road is underway.

  • Eastleigh North and Mihang’o Youth officially join Sauti Mtaani

    Eastleigh North and Mihang’o Youth officially join Sauti Mtaani

    With an aim of expanding its reach to all youth in Kenya, Sauti Mtaani held a Youth Induction meeting with Youth Ambassadors from Eastleigh North Ward and Mihang’o Ward. The meeting was held at Paris Hotel, Nairobi on 19th October, 2016. The youth from these two wards narrated their experiences on how they have been finding it difficult to engage with their respective MCAs and appreciated the role Sauti Mtaani will play in bridging this gap. The youth were then taken through the process of using the Sauti Mtaani platform by sending an SMS to the short code 21393. The youth also suggested ways in which Sauti Mtaani could penetrate into their wards ensuring that every youth is reached. To crown it all, the youth were given T-Shirts and fliers to enable them reach out to their peers in their respective wards.

  • Women Too Can Lead: Dialogue Forums on Inclusive and Participatory Governance

    Women Too Can Lead: Dialogue Forums on Inclusive and Participatory Governance

    As part of the project“Building the Capacity of Communities in Burnt Forest for Gender Inclusive Civic Engagement and Participatory Governance” CEEC with the support of GIZ/CPS facilitated civic engagement dialogue forums between the 4thand 7thof October 2016. The forums were conducted in eight farms within Burnt Forest namely,Ndungulu, Barekeiywo, Kaplelach, Chuiyat, Kamuyu, Rukuini, Lingway and Kagongobringing together about 500 community members. 63 community leaders (men and women) trained by CEEC in July on inclusive and participatory governance facilitated the forums with the support of CEEC staff.

    The dialogue forums were organized in such a way that men and women first met separately and then both groups came together for a joint engagement. Each group had guiding questions that sought to understand why women do not participate in governance, what they need in order to participate and how men can support them. The discussions generated healthy debate and joint solutions with women sharing challenges some of which are cultural beliefs, gender stereotypes, lack of confidence, burden of responsibilities, lack of financial resources and limited access to information. A deeper look at the challenges pointed to patriarchy which is supported by a deep rooted culture and manifested in gender stereotypes and discrimination. Both groups acknowledged the need for change and as evident from the sentiments of one male participant, “If my wife left, I would be lost in that house. If she can lead our home, I believe she can lead in the public domain” This is a view that was echoed by many other male participants in the eight farms.

    The men pledged to support women by sharing information, educating their daughters, socializing their male and female children to respect each other, sharing domestic responsibilities thus freeing women to attend public forums, offering financial support, respecting women’s rights and acknowledging that women too can lead. The forums also provided space for discussions on how the choice of leaders had impacted the community especially when it comes to development. There was general consensus that good governance that leads to sustainable development and peaceful co-existence needs to be inclusive and participatory. The community was in agreement that such dialogue forums were critical as they prepare for the 2017 general election.
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  • Governance Project – Burnt Forest: Joint Planning Meeting

    Governance Project – Burnt Forest: Joint Planning Meeting

    The main objective of the project “Building the Capacity of Communities in Burnt Forest for Gender Inclusive Civic Engagement and Participatory Governance” which is being implemented with the support of GIZ/CPS is to promote women’s civic engagement in the region. It is in view of this that CEEC trained a total of 61 men and women community leaders between 20th and 28th July 2016 at Kamuyu PCEA Church in Burnt Forest. The trainees who were drawn from eight farms within Burnt Forest namely, Ndungulu, Barekeiwo, Kaplalach, Chuiyat, Kamuyu, Rukuini, Lingway and Kagongo are expected to sensitize other community members by holding two sets of dialogue forums within their respective farms. Both the male and female trainees came together on 29th July 2016 to plan for the first set of dialogue forums. They agreed on the dates and time that they would conduct the forums in their respective farms as well as group members’ roles. The forums are supposed to be organized in such a way that the men and women first meet separately and then they all come together and engage each other. Although the trainees will facilitate these forums, the methodology is a bit complex and CEEC will therefore assist with the facilitation of one forum per farm. CEEC will then accompany the trainees during the second set of dialogue forums for moral support as well as to assess their level of understanding of content and skills. Besides the forums, the trainees will also be expected to seize every available opportunity, formal or informal, to sensitize other community members.
  • Men Community Leaders’ Training On Governance-Burnt Forest

    Men Community Leaders’ Training On Governance-Burnt Forest

    CEEC believes that processes that are not inclusive cannot be sustainable. In Burnt Forest as indeed elsewhere in the country, women have been locked out of important processes including governance which is what informed the project “Building the Capacity of Communities in Burnt Forest for Gender Inclusive Civic Engagement and Participatory Governance” which is being supported by GIZ/CPS. Under the project, CEEC carried out a four days’ training of 31 men community leaders from eight farms in Burnt Forest namely Ndungulu, Barekeiwo, Kaplalach, Chuiyat, Kamuyu, Rukuini, Lingway and Kagongobetween 25th and 28th July 2016. This was in acknowledgement of the fact that to promote gender inclusive governance, it is important to work with both men and women so that they can both understand the rationale behind gender inclusive governance. It is also important for women to identify what capacity strengthening they require and for men to identify ways in which they can support the women. This was the background against which this as well as the women’s training (20th and 23rd July 2016) was held.
    The training not only covered devolution and the roles of all the elected officials but also an introduction to gender and understanding of masculinities. In sharp contrast to the women, the men had a good understanding of devolution but they did not connect this to gender roles and the socialization process. The session on gender helped them understand how things they considered natural were actually social constructs. A discussion of masculinities and male disempowerment helped them understand how patriarchy was hurting not only women and children but also men themselves. By violating, excluding and discriminating against women, their families, communities and ultimately the country were losing on important resources that only women can provide. It was difficult for the men to appreciate that gender roles were not God ordained but rather prescribed by the society but eventually they came round. They pledged to support women and also sensitize fellow men on the importance of gender inclusive processes.
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  • Women Community Leaders’ Training on Governance – Burnt Forest

    Women Community Leaders’ Training on Governance – Burnt Forest

    As part of the project “Building the Capacity of Communities in Burnt Forest for gender inclusive civic engagement and participatory governance” CEEC with support from GIZ/CPS, carried out a four days’ training of 32 women community leaders from eight farms in Burnt Forest namely Ndungulu, Barekeiwo, Kaplalach, Chuiyat, Kamuyu, Rukuini, Lingway and Kagongo between 20th and 23rd July 2016. Topics that were covered included the difference between gender and sex, the socialization process, objectives of devolution, functions of all the elected officials under devolved governance, rationale for inclusive and participatory governance and skills building. The participants were able to differentiate facts from the gender myths and stereotypes they had all along believed in and which hindered their effective participation in governance. Not surprisingly, most of the women had very little knowledge of devolved governance mainly due to apathy and indifference towards political issues due to the belief that politics were men’s domain. To address the confusion regarding the mandate of the different elected officials, it was important to break down and simplify devolution so that the women would know who to hold accountable for which functions. As they prepare for the upcoming general elections, the trainees are now better equipped not only to make informed choices but to sensitize others within the community.

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  • Positive Masculinities Evaluation Meeting

    Positive Masculinities Evaluation Meeting

    All is well that ends well!

    The first year of activities under the projectPositive Masculinities: Working with Young Men to combat Gender Based Violence in Kiambu Countycame to an end with an evaluation meeting on 1stJuly 2016 at the Victorian House in Kikuyu Town. The evaluation aimed at assessing the short term project outcomes from the five wards and receiving recommendations for the subsequent years. During the meeting, the teams also reported on the experience of the travelling theatres which were carried out between March and June 2016 (4 performances per ward reaching out to over 2000 people in 20 different churches). The evaluation identified commitment by the team members, team support and effective leadership as the driving forces to the success of the community outreach activities carried out by the young men. From the interactions, it was clear that the participating youth as well as those they reached out to had an increased understanding of gender based violence and especially the link between this vice and negative masculinities. The message of positive masculinities was timely and the use of theatre was very effective in educating and entertaining at the same time. As one participant put it, “We have been entertained as well as educated and this is something that has spoken to many of us”. Going by the name of#thatguy_ who says NO to GBV,the young men had begun a paradigm shift from negative to positive masculinities.

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