Gender training is central to gender and development (GAD) work in East Africa and Kenya. In the 1980s, gender work was strongly linked to women’s issues and male gender trainers were disparagingly received. How vital are gender trainers in transforming the attitudes of men resistant to gender quality?

The impact of gender training across different cultures depends on creativity and innovation in training methodologies. How crucial, asks research from Egerton University in Kenya, is the gender of the trainer, when choosing between different methodologies?

Gender training is a tool for transforming attitudes and culture at individual, institutional and community levels. The goal is to change patriarchal values and the structural and institutional practices that subordinate women, as well as to promote practices that reduce gender disparities. Gender trainers must respond to the diverse cultural backgrounds of trainees by developing appropriate modules and training methods. As such they potential catalysts for change, to alter attitudes and achieve a more gender-sensitive environment.

Findings arising from this review of the East African experience suggest that:

• Men are resistant to female trainers due to the cultural and political context of East Africa: a woman’s voice lacks legitimacy if not sanctioned by male authority.
• Male trainers can foster a more positive response in trainees than a female trainer, helping male participants develop interest in and commitment to the goal of gender equality.
• Male trainers are more effective if they make a personal commitment to gender equality rather than simply a professional undertaking.
• Women gender trainers can be as effective as men in East Africa depending on context.
• Using male gender trainers may undermine principles of equality by elevating men’s voices over women’s, perpetuating stereotypes of male authority and restricting discussion to men’s problems.

Implications for policies to improve the success of gender training include ensuring that:

• selection of trainers is informed by prior knowledge of the cultural background, age, language and perceptions of gender of the people to be trained.
• choosing a male trainer is based on his facilitating and training skills, not just the fact that he is male.
• male and female trainers are innovative in adapting training methods to different cultural contexts: gender is only one method that could improve the efficacy of gender training.

Source(s):
‘The transformative effect of the male gender trainer’, paper presented at ESRC/SIDA Seminar series (UK), 'Men, Masculinities and Gender Relations in Development', Queen Elizabeth House, Oxford, by Milton Obote Joshua, June 2000 Full document.

Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council, UK

id21 Research Highlight: 26 September 2001

Further Information:
Milton Obote Joshua
Egerton University
CWSGA
PO Box 536
Njoro
Kenya

Contact the contributor: obote@petmary.africaonline.com

Other related links:
Insights #35 'Do men matter? New horizons in gender and development'

'A child’s best interests? Rethinking policy in the light of changing gender roles'

'All together now ... Addressing men and masculinities in gender policy and planning'

'Putting men onto the gender agenda'

Men, Masculinities and Gender in Development explores the issues further

UNDP focuses on Men and Gender Equality

See also UNICEF's Masculinities & Gender Equality site