As International Men’s Day is taking place the same week, this session of our Gender Community of Practice will focus on the pivotal role men can play in advocating for women’s rights and empowerment.
Rooda Ahmed from Bawso and Samuel Sokuton from the Greater Sebei Community Empowerment Project in Uganda will share experience from their collaborative project in the Sebei region of Uganda, aimed at eliminating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Rooda and Samuel will delve into the project’s elements of engaging men and boys as allies in the fight against FGM.
After the presentation, there will be space for discussion, allowing attendees to share their own experience, additional ideas and strategies for effectively engaging men in achieving project objectives and fostering greater gender equality.
Based in Lesotho, Advocate Joanna Jonas is a passionate gender and human rights activist, legal professional, and a prominent advocate for women’s rights and empowerment. Driven by a commitment to feminist principles and women’s rights, Joanna is the proud founder and Executive Director of Nairasha Legal Support, a pioneering social legal enterprise that focuses on advancing gender equality, access to justice by victims and survivors of GBV and empowering marginalised communities. Under her leadership, Nairasha Legal Support has become a prominent force in addressing legal challenges faced by women, contributing significantly to the broader discourse on gender-based violence (GBV).
Joanna’s work extends beyond her home country, as she proudly holds the position of Chairperson for Dolen Cymru Wales-Lesotho, an organisation bridging connections between Lesotho and Wales, emphasising collaboration and mutual understanding.
As a project coordinator for the Bawso-Sebei project in Uganda, Rooda’s role is to oversee the project and work closely with the team on the ground in achieving the project outcomes. She works with the Sebei Community Empowerment Project to coordinate activities taking place in Uganda. In Wales, she coordinates the Wales arm of the project, which includes working in schools, communities and with volunteers. She delivers sessions to increase the knowledge of FGM in the community with the aim of reducing incidences of FGM amongst beneficiaries.
A self-driven social worker with over ten years’ experience of project management while implementing community development programs in Sebei sub region in Eastern Uganda with focus on Community development, empowerment, Youth Livelihoods, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), lower local council involvement in community development, education among others.
Established in 1995, Bawso is a Pan-Wales charity and leader in domestic abuse services for Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities providing advice and support for victims including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Forced Marriages, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (MSHT). Bawso supports over 7,000 victims and survivors of violence every year. To date, Bawso has supported more than a quarter of a million people since 1995.
The Bawso-Sebei project aims to play an important role in the elimination of FGM in the Sebei region of Uganda. Bawso works with the Sebei Community Empowerment Project to run sessions and build alliances through schools and communities. The project aims to address these deep-seated cultural practices in the Sebei region by challenging harmful social norms and changing the hearts and minds of male perpetrators. The main objective is ‘attitudinal change’ in challenging the practice of FGM and embracing a healthy and safe culture for all. It also creates opportunities for knowledge exchange between Uganda and Wales.
The purpose of the Gender Community of Practice is to create a supportive environment for learning and exchange around gender equality and women’s empowerment in order to improve the quality of what we do.