As a way of promoting Gender equality and inclusion, the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate on Thursday 6^th June 2024 held a Male Round Table discussion for Makerere University Senior Academic and Administrative Male staff. Giving the objectives for the men’s workshop, the Senior Gender Officer Makerere University Mainstreaming Directorate Mr. Eric Tumwesigye stated that the directorate realized the need to provide space for male staff at Makerere University to identify their issues in relation to promoting gender equality.

He also noted that there is need to explore ways of exercising their agency in promoting gender equality and also need to build a male champions at Makerere University and beyond.

Speaking to the audience, the Key note speaker Rev. Nathan Mugalu Balirwana an Anglican Priest in Namirembe Diocese, A Counselling Psychologist who also doubles as the National Male and Religious Champion on Sexual Reproductive and Health Rights (SRHR), and a Male Engagement Specialist echoed on how mental ill health is  affecting and spreading among men in and outside Uganda calling for the need to stand with the affected people to help ease their recovery. He noted that while statistics are important in social issues, it’s important to personify numbers and consider case by case in handling Men’s issues.

Cautioning that acts of basing on numbers when discussing matters that affect people’s lives, and individuals should stand out and speak out alone, as it’s longer about statistics but an individual, and that depressed men become problematic to the society.

“Many men are suffering mental illness but because they lack enough safe spaces where they can be understood with empathy and unconditional positive regard. Men need Male more safe spaces and who to speak to, as  many have resorted to ending their lives. We need to be there for each other. We should know that it’s not about statistics but an individual, depressed men, depress the entire society” remarked Rev. Mugalu.

He noted that there is need for more deliberate efforts to raise masculine Men. The absence of masculinity among men raises deficiencies in Men’s characters that worsen gender injustice, violence, inequalities etc. He noted that masculinity is a positive attribute that needs to be promoted among Men. He further stressed that Toxic Masculinity means the absence of Masculinity.

He noted the need to reach out to Men on the grassroots. Ignored Men are dangerous to their communities. It’s not about how much English we speak, it’s all about how many Men in the Ghettos, villages, Wanainchi that we reach with the message of gender equality, equity and justice. As long as Men on grassroots cannot define equality, we are far away from achieving gender equality.

He further stresses the need to involve young men and boys in the struggle of achieving gender equality.

He noted the challenges men face in society and called for creation of safe spaces, where men can meet and share their challenges and get some advice as one of the mechanisms for reducing on the high rate of gender violence men face today, stating that several men today are wounded mentally by  Gender Based violence but have no one to share with and even those that they would share with expect them to be men enough to handle the problem and also to heal others.  

“The untold story is that 8 of 10 men are facing mental  and physical Gender Based violence and they fear to talk about it, as society expects them to be men enough to withstand such challenges, this has affected many families and work places as wounded men wound others but are expected to heal others. Only a man that has been wounded and fully healed can heal others as he understands the pains” said Rev. Nathan.

Rev. Nathan further called for mentorship and engagement of the boys and men if we are to have a better society and also if we are to stop unwanted pregnancies and abortions which occur on a daily basis and cautioned about the generation growing without men, noting that the comfort zones stagnate men, and advised men to get out of their comfort zones and plan for future to avoid retirement issues.

“We are risking a society without astute and well-adjusted masculine men, comfort zones are the most stagnating thing for men, there is need to be worried when we bring a generation that has nothing to lose, such people are determined to do anything. Men need to be engaged so much in the struggle to end abortions which occur daily. This can be through sensitization” he said.

The Principal Women in Development Officer, Ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development Hajji Mayanja Idi Mubarak noted that the percentage of men drop out is increasing highly calling for need to look into the barriers that are leading to the cause just like it was done with women.

“The same barriers that were affecting women are now affecting men, previous graduation noted that 52% were females and 48% men, a sign that there is a drop out of universities of the men in completing studies, and there is need to work on barriers of access to education by male students.” He said.

He advised men to balance work and home life to ease management of their responsibilities both at work and home as one way to reduce on the rampant causes of Gender Based Violence among homes.

As a way of reducing on the cases of child torture by domestic workers and also unpaid care, Hajji Mubaraka called for day care centers at places of work and also revealed that the Ministry is coming up with a policy to regulate on the exploitation of domestic workers  to see that they earn what is worthy their labor, noting that 90% of them are under paid and yet exploited with too much work load.

“We encourage our wives, sisters and daughters to work and call for salary increment, but we forget the young girls and women whom we leave behind as maids. Most of these are under paid compared to the work they do and some are not paid at all, that’s why we keep hearing cases of house helps torturing our children at home.  It’s here that Ministry is coming up with a policy to regulate on the unpaid care work to see that these maids also earn what’s fair to their services and also need to have day care centers at our workplaces.” He said.

He mentioned that the Ministry’s key objectives in male involvement strategy are;

• To guide development and review Gender Based Violence policies and programs to integrate interventions on male involvement.
• To promote transformation of harmful gender norms and practices that perpetuate Gender Based Violence.
• To provide guidance on provision of male friendly services to meet victims of Gender Based Violence
• To promote strategic partnership in engaging men and boys in prevention and response to Gender Based Violence.

Revealing that government is putting up spaces to help men going through violence to enable them not only to open up but also get helped from what they go through and urged fellow men to make good use of the space created.

Mr. Mayanja continued to note that involvement of men and boys in the processes that prevent and respond to Gender Based Violence is an indispensable part of the process of changing the power of dynamics of existing   gender roles and values that perpetuate Gender Based Violence as men play key role in bringing gender equality in our society, religions and traditions, since Uganda’s diverse cultural customs and taboos that define men’s status and expectations in different ways.

The Director Makerere University Gender Main streaming Directorate Dr. Euzobia Mugisha Baine stated that research was done on 6 universities Kyambogo University, Busitema University, Gulu University, Mbarara University with a purpose to explore the male involvement in the interventions to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in universities and findings showed that efforts to engage men in programs that promote gender equality was regarded as important and exciting topic.

Giving her closing remarks, Dr. Euzobia thanked all the male staff of Makerere University for their participation and feedback that they provided and pledged continuation of more engagements.

“We are happy for the feedback provided by everyone, this is very important for us as we build for the future and we hope for more trainings“ Said Dr. Euzobia.