The effort to bring more men to the campaign seems to be working. Male activists recently protested in Nairobi. They were demanding justice for a female teenage rape victim. Her attackers were freed after being ordered to cut grass as punishment for the rape.
Kennedy Otina is with FEMNET’s Men-to-Men program in Kenya. He was among the protesters that day. He says that he used to act like what he calls “a typical African man” with little respect for women. Then, he says, his girlfriend became pregnant and that changed everything.
“The, the lady eventually gave birth to a baby girl and you know that’s where it was a turning point, because my daughter was so innocent and I was just imagining that if I am the one who is discriminating (against) her to that extent, what would happen to a man next door, who doesn’t have much connection to the girl?”
Mr. Otina now works in the community to increase understanding of the high level of sexual violence. Some of the programs give mental health treatment to men involved in these crimes.
Mr. Otina says men make the mistake of thinking the men-to-men program will help defend male rapists. Mr. Otina says that mistake gives him the chance to talk with the men responsible for the violence.
“When there’s a case in court then they tend to think or assume that we’ll be the ones to defend them, to support them in court, but you know when they get to us, we help them understand that violence against women is not acceptable.”
最新
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25