User:Emnagi/Sonke Gender Justice

Sonke Gender Justice Network is a non-profit organization that promotes gender equality, prevent domestic and sexual violence, and reduce the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS in the African region. Sonke has offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Bushbuckridge. It was founded in 2006 by Dean Peacock, Reverend Bafana Khumalo and Shamillah Wilson.

Mission
According to the organization's website:

Sonke’s vision is a world in which men, women and children can enjoy equitable, healthy and happy relationships that contribute to the development of just and democratic societies.

Sonke Gender Justice works across Africa to strengthen government, civil society and citizen capacity to support men and boys in taking action to promote gender equality, prevent domestic and sexual violence, and reduce the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS.

Approach
In a recent | Agenda article, the Executive Director, Dean Peacock explained that Sonke positions itself as an organisation working for gender equality that employs as one of its primary strategies working with men and boys. Working with men and boys is a means to the end of gender transformation. Working with men and boys is not an end in and of itself. Sonke is not a men’s rights organisation and does not defend men's rights. Rather, the organization advances women’s rights and challenges destructive models of masculinity.

According to Sonke's website, the organization recognises that effecting sustained change to gender roles and relations requires addressing the forces that shape individual attitudes and community norms and practices – traditions and cultures, government policies, laws and institutions, civil society organisations, the media and the family – as well as underlying economic, political and social pressures.

Sonke works closely with a range of organisations and individuals including women’s rights organisations, social movements, trade unions, government departments, sports associations, faith-based organisations, media organisations, university research units and human rights advocates. In addition, Sonke is committed to ensuring that programmes are informed by the perspectives and priorities of those working to advance the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersexual communities, people living with HIV and AIDS, refugees and migrants, and prisoners.

Along with Instituto Promundo, Sonke co-chairs the MenEngage Alliance, a global network of organisations and activists who use positive involvement of men in gender equality work.