Waimbabie Gnoumou is learning to be a better husband, says his wife, Martine. That’s because he is going to a special school that teaches men exactly that. The school for Husbands and Future Husbands in Mamboué; a village in western Burkina Faso, breaks down gender stereotypes and shows men the role they have to play in ending violence; and empowering their wives and daughters.
“Ever since he started going to the husbands school, our relationship has improved significantly,” Martine said.
It is to resolve knotty issues and foster peace in various homes that the School For Husbands; was instituted in Mamboué, in the Houndé commune in western Burkina Faso.
Once a week, about 15 married men meet at the school for husbands to discuss family life, guided by a facilitator. The initiative is Financed by the International Development Association through the; Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographics Project (SWEDD), and implemented with technical support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
For Dofinta Gnoumou, the Mamboué village chief and frequent arbitrator in marital disputes; “the launch of the school for husbands is a blessing. All the members of the husbands’ club have improved their behavior toward their wives; and outreach is continuing in places of worship and bars in the village.”
Married men, fathers and soon-to-be-husbands learn the importance of girls’ education; the need for pregnant women to receive antenatal care and safe delivery services; and the right of women and girls to live free of violence