CASCADE’s Journey to Gender Equality

In African traditional Society, Men and Women were/ are socialized differently as some roles were entirely done by woman or men for example cooking, washing of clothes and utensil, fetching firewood, taking care of the children and the sick, sweeping compound were done by women and hunting, providing for family among others were for men.

Mr. Anyanjo Joseph is a 28-year young man who has lived in Endrebamvuku village in Esia Parish Adjumani District his entire lie. He is married with 3 children but also taking care of some relatives. As an African man he is not exceptional from any other typical African man. “I grew up seeing work being divided in this community based on what our grandfathers used to tell us. As a man you are not supposed to done household chores and that those were role of women.” Through the support of CRPs who sensitized community members on the importance of shared roles at home to ease work and reduce burden from all genders at home.

Anyanjo became a changed man and he is now championing male engagement in domestic chores. “After the training I started helping my wife with some small work like bathing children, taking them to hospital when they fall sick, and sometimes I cook. I have realized that when I help my wife with domestic work we eat on time, she has enough time to rest and she is even looking younger and more beautiful.”

Mr. Anyanjo testifies that the family is now more happier as the children are experiencing loving environment and the wife has also been relieved of the burden of caring for the family chores alone thus making a more happier and healthy family in the community, he is now using his learning to help change the behavior and the attitude of others in the community by been exemplary to the community.

He appreciate the guidance provide by the CASCADE team to help share work in the house hold to better the health of everyone in the community