The picture of the week

Conference on Positive Masculinity, Dakar, Senegal

Jutomue Doetein - Shalom Liberia, Paynesville, Liberia

2022-12-28

Last year (Nov. 25, 2021), the African Union convened a summit in Kinshasa which led to the adoption of the Kinshasa Declaration and Call to Action on Positive Masculinity and mandates member states to report annually on actions taken and progress made to end violence against women and girls, including harmful practices, in Africa.

It is based on that background 52 Youth Leaders from the African continent such as myself were invited to the AU Men's Conference Second Youth Consultation with assistance from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). As young people from Africa who have strongly advocated against violence against women and girls, we collaboratively formulated key recommendations that have been included in the declaration to be adopted by the African Union Heads of State at the Dakar Conference on Positive Masculinity to end violence against women and girls.

We hope that recommendations made by us the Youth of Africa gear to end violence against women and girls will be prioritized through the robust implementation of the adopted declaration by the African Union heads of state including the Liberian Government.

More To That, it was a good experience as I was motivated to continue my Advocacy for Women and Girls and other vulnerable populations. Conclusively, we joyfully faced an interview with Radio France International on the subject of the role of men to end violence against women and girls and that was fabulous.