Meet a member: Gcina Shongwe, Executive Director of United Youth for Sustainable Globe and MenEngage Africa Youth Chairperson

What do you work on?

I focus on addressing and transforming toxic masculinities that are deeply entrenched in our culture due to patriarchal norms. My work involves actively engaging with faith and traditional leaders in Eswatini, fostering discussions, and collaboratively devising effective strategies to advance gender equality and uphold human rights.

How did you get involved in this work?

While volunteering with a Youth Organization in Eswatini, I served as a peer educator. During this time, I observed a significant gap in addressing gender equality issues and including the voices of women and youth in crucial platforms. Recognizing this need, I identified the necessity for a transformation in the organizational structure to one that aims to collaboratively work with communities, particularly in rural areas. The goal is to advance gender equality and expedite interventions through fostering discussions and meaningful engagement with community members to eliminate inequalities and violence against women and girls.

Is there an initiative you are proud of that you would like to share?

The MenEngage Eswatini Youth gender-based violence Symposium stands out as one of our most significant events as a network. It was launched in 2023, where a number of 20 youth leaders and organizations met to craft sustainable strategies on how we can collectively and meaningful work as youth movements to achieve gender and social justice, and now this event has become our Annual Youth Event in Eswatini which is hosted during the 16days of Gender Activism Month (November).

This  provided us, young leaders, with a valuable platform to come together and discuss gender-based violence as an urgent issue. During this gathering, we actively discussed and engaged on strategies for young people to collaboratively address gender-based violence in our respective spaces. It was a moment of shared commitment to intervene and promote women’s rights collectively. 

On a personal note, the MenEngage Africa SRHR Learning Symposium in 2023 boosted my capacity as a youth advocate on how as young people we can shape policy and law to ensure equitable access of young people to adequate health care services. During the symposium, I appreciated the diversity of the participants, especially as it opened a platform for us as young people to be in the forefront—from the planning of sessions, delivering on them and being in panel discussions—which offered us the opportunity to strengthen our knowledge capacities. 

What keeps you motivated in this work?

Witnessing traditional and faith leaders stepping up and actively participating in these discussions is a promising sign, even if their perspectives haven’t fully shifted yet. Their engagement suggests that we are making progress, and there’s a potential path towards achieving gender justice.

Is there something you found inspiring that you can share?

I found this campaign for 16 Days of Activism inspiring. It shared stories of individual men’s transformation in terms of gender norms they were enacting. When men support their partners with domestic work, it helps them understand each other better thereby, reducing the occurrence of gender-based violence.

What do you hope we can achieve together as an Alliance that we cannot do as individual organizations?

By coming together as a community and prioritizing youth leadership, I believe we can build robust and meaningful allyship with youth organizations, integrating their innovative ideas and strategies into the efforts to advance gender equality and human rights.

An inspiring quote that you would like to share? 

“what a men can do a women can do also” by Professor J Lumumba

Is there a part of the Ubuntu Declaration and Call to Action that resonates with you?

The entire Ubuntu Declaration resonates with my values and understanding. So far, I’ve witnessed the network actively pursuing the objectives outlined in the documents, particularly emphasizing intersectional feminist approaches, promoting youth leadership, and prioritizing the voices of women at the forefront. These efforts are instrumental in accelerating interventions and advocating for gender equality.