Men in Collective Action on SGBV in Kenya: A Case Study

Abstract

This case study examines the ways in which collective action and the involvement of men may influence the prospects of effectively changing community perceptions and values regarding sexual and gender-based violence, and how it may strengthen the overall response to the problem in Kenya. The broader aim is to help improve information access and to inform the strategies of relevant actors (including activists and policymakers) addressing this issue, with meaningful male engagement, and to facilitate the forging and strengthening of strategic alliances for gender justice and ending SGBV in Kenya. The report seeks to contribute to the burgeoning literature on the role of men and collective action in addressing SGBV (Barker et al. 2011; Esplen 2006; Ricardo, Eads and Barker 2011). Efforts to involve men and boys are thought to stand a greater chance of succeeding if different stakeholders can build partnerships with other organisations and across social movements (Cornwall, Edström and Greig 2011). Yet the body of knowledge about the effectiveness and success of initiatives that engage men in the prevention of and response to SGBV remains relatively limited (Barker et al. 2011).