In several countries across Africa and beyond, INTERSOS combats gender-based violence not only by supporting and protecting women, but also by training men to become agents of change within their communities. These projects can be viewed as a mental and social gym for men.
“You must ensure that your family is not afraid of you.” These are the words that Zack, the principal of a primary school in M’ockmbie — in Cameroon’s South-West Region — shares with the men of his community and with the young students who attend the school every day.
We are in the heart of Cameroon, a country located in the western part of the African continent that has been grappling with internal instability, scattered conflicts, insecurity, poverty, and epidemics for years. These are all elements found in other African countries experiencing persistent humanitarian crises, where gender-based violence, in all its forms, is widespread and deeply rooted.
In West and Central Africa, according to UNFPA’s 2024 report — the United Nations Population Fund, which focuses on sexual and reproductive health and demographic issues — between 10% and 30% of women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in the reference year. Data from the World Health Organization show that violence begins at a young age, with statistics indicating that 1 in 4 young women between 15 and 24 has experienced one or more acts of sexual violence.
Among the key contributing factors, insecurity and chronic poverty increase the risks of gender-based violence, and access to support services and legal protection is more limited in resource-poor settings. Harmful practices such as early marriage and female genital mutilation remain widespread in West Africa, as do slavery and sexual trafficking, forced pregnancies, and other forms of sexual violence.
Principal Zack is part of several groups of men who have chosen to drive social and cultural change in societies where sexual, physical, and psychological violence against women is often considered normal — if not, as shown by recent events in Sudan’s civil war, even used as a weapon of war to assert power.
The “Man, Agent of Change” project, designed and implemented by INTERSOS in countries such as Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Chad, aims to engage men and boys in awareness and educational journeys on gender equality, addressing the social norms and stereotypes that fuel violence against women and girls.
“I am well aware that men in my area are the main cause of violence against women, expressed in serious forms like early marriage, physical abuse, and denying them the resources they need to survive”, says Zack, who, after attending a training course, was selected by the INTERSOS team as a change agent for his community.
During the meetings organized by INTERSOS with groups of 15–20 men and boys who have not committed gender-based violence and who are interested in being drivers of profound change, several interconnected sessions are held, including: understanding and defining gender-based violence; identifying warning signs and ending partner violence within families; understanding the relationships between women and men with their differences; and, finally, integrating new perceptions into personal and social relationships in daily life. Even where gender inequality seems most entrenched, spreading new ideas and awareness within families and communities can truly foster gradual change.
Zack explains his active commitment in the community, using the knowledge he has acquired to ensure that common messages — such as telling women and girls to be careful of potential dangers — are accompanied by efforts to make men aware of power dynamics, human rights regardless of sex, and the profound physical and psychological consequences that gender-based violence inflicts on entire communities.
For years, INTERSOS has been working against all forms of gender-based violence, from rape to abuse of male power within households — including deprivation of goods, money, and personal freedom. We address all of this in countries at war, destabilized by internal crises, or facing severe social and economic problems that deprive people of their most basic rights. In addition to offering support and protection to women and girls who survive violence — hosting them in safe spaces dedicated to listening, mental health, and physical well-being — in recent years, our focus has also turned to men and their social responsibilities.
The “Man as Agent of Change” project can be thought of as a mental and social gym for men. Instead of lifting weights (violence or oppressive power), men learn — through a trainer (the facilitator) and group sessions (participatory exercises) — to dismantle old habits and beliefs (harmful gender norms) and build new “muscle” (based on equality). As in any gym, change is not immediate but gradual, requiring personal and collective commitment from everyone.