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John Cardinal Njue, the Archbishop of Nairobi last weekend signed up for the HeForShe Campaign that seeks to build a global solidarity movement for gender equality.

“Today I commit to supporting the HeforShe campaign as a strategy to strengthen the call for gender equality which will go a long way in supporting the boy-child initiative in our Archdiocese of Nairobi,” Cardinal Njue said.

The Cardinal signed up for the campaign during the Annual General Meeting of the Catholic Men Association of the Archdiocese of Nairobi.

“The Catholic Church has never shied away from issues of gender inequalities that face our society today. This inequality exists even in the Church because men and women sometimes forget they cannot be fully human without one another. We are all equal in the eyes of God,” the Cardinal emphasised.

In his speech addressed to the Catholic Men Association, Cardinal Njue urged men to mentor the boy-child.

“I am happy to note that today we are launching a boy-child support program in partnership with the UN Women.  We are called to be good examples and positive models to foster mentorship to the boy-child in the society.  I wish to remind you our dear fathers that you have a responsibility to head your homes, lead and guide your families. This is a role that cannot be fulfilled effectively without mentoring the future generations,” the Cardinal said. He added, “This is a responsibility that you cannot kind of give to someone else; it is your primary responsibility,” he stressed.

Introducing the HeForShe campaign, Kenya’s UN Women Country Director Ms Zebib Kavuma noted that “The purpose of this campaign is to build a global solidarity movement for gender equality that engages men and boys as advocates and stakeholders to break the silence, to raise their voices and take action for the achievement of gender equality and the elimination of all forms of discrimination.”

HeForShe, unlike other campaigns, is born out of the recognition that gender equality is not only about women and girls but rather about inclusivity meaning men and women boys and girls.

The HeForShe global campaign was launched on 20 September 2014 by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York. In Africa, Kenya was the second country to start the campaign.

The campaign seeks to engage men and boys as advocates and agents for change in the achievement of gender equality and women rights.

(CISA in Nairobi)

Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va

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