Year: 2021

Year: 2021

A Call to Men – The Men of Protect A Girls Image Reflect On Recent Issues.

It has been one year since those of us in Kenya and the United States began to shut down in-person activities as we recognized the danger of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s an understatement to say the last year has been difficult. For many, many of us, it has been devastating.

More than two and a half million people have died worldwide, including confirmed positive cases in Kenya are now 130,214. 13 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours out of which 2 occurred in the last 24 hours while 11 are late death reports from facility record audits that occurred on diverse dates.

This now pushes our cumulative fatalities to 2,117. Our sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their loved ones. In the last year, Covid-19 has killed almost as many people as cancer.

 

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Donating Food As A Response To Coronavirus/ The Church and Nonprofits.

 

How men can prevent sexual assault

Women have suffered more than men, and women of color have suffered the most. Women are doing more unrecognized household labor than before the pandemic. In recent months, four times the number of women are dropping out of the labor force compared to men. I’m sorry to say the list goes on.

Isolating folks in their homes over the last year led to a spike in domestic violence. We’re also experiencing a mental health crisis — and us men are still not seeking the help we should. Our education system is struggling. All of these crises intersect and those at the margins of the margins are hurt the most.

But we have a big opportunity for action right now. Millions of people worldwide are getting vaccines every day, although that process is also affected by race and class. We’re seeing hiring pick up. The racial justice and gender justice movements over the last year have inspired us so much. We’ve seen some of the biggest protests and resistance in history, and we’re seeing momentum that we haven’t felt since the Civil Rights era.

As we begin to emerge from this pandemic, I want to call on all of the men reading this. Make a commitment — right now — to do things differently from now on. Together we can — we must — build a society that is more just, more inclusive, more loving than the world has ever seen. But it will take all of us.

If you already considered yourself a practicing aspiring ally for women and those at the margins of the margins, think about how you can do just a bit more (or a lot more). If you’re just starting your journey, thank you. We need you. I urge you to learn, to listen to, and lift up voices at the margins, and to donate money and skills.

Let’s commit right now that collective liberation will be the focus of the post-Covid world. We can do it. Now’s the time.

Please comment if you are a male feminist!

7 Key Lessons to Teach Kids About Body Safety and Consent in 2021.

Starting with the viral hashtag #metoo in 2017, everyone was talking about the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment. Like so many others, I have my own #metoo story.

That however is not why I’m writing right now, what I want to try to do in order to help change this prevalence of sexual assault is to empower you to understand consent and body safety.

This means teaching our kids preventative measures. This means teaching both boys and girls about consent.

 

It’s never too soon to speak to your children about sex, consent, and body safety.

1. Talk about body parts early and use the proper terminology.

When we teach our children terms for their body parts that we feel like they’d understand, childish names, it teaches a sense of privacy and shame over what they are.

When children know the anatomical terminology and have been able to discuss it openly with parents there is a greater understanding over what is not okay behavior of adults or children around them.

If something does happen, it also makes it easier for children to discuss what happened and get help.

2. Teach your children body boundaries.

Teaching children about privacy when it comes to body parts can be complicated.

I’ve read articles about how you can teach your kids that it’s okay for mom and dad to see your parts. But how often is a parent the abuser?

Then again, every parent, especially depending on the child’s age needs to be able to see a child naked to shower and bath, to change diapers, to help with toileting.

It’s necessary. This is when it comes to teaching your child boundaries. What is okay touching, what is not.

Teaching your kids that nobody outside the home should TOUCH their body parts. It’s inappropriate for anyone to ask to see them or ask them to touch others.

3. Teach your kids that body secrets are not okay.

Abusers can threaten your child if they tell about the abuse.

Teach your children that body secrets are not okay. Reassure them that no matter what you will not be mad, they will never lose mom or dad, nobody can ever hurt you over them telling the truth, and that if anyone asks to touch their body parts or for them to touch others body parts to tell you right away.

This includes someone asking them to look at pictures of body parts or take pictures of their body parts.

4. Teach your children that the rules are not different even if they know the person.

It does not have to be a stranger asking them inappropriate things.

Most often those who are sexually assaulted know their abusers. The rules are the same no matter who is asking.

5. Teach your children how to get out of bad situations.

Teach your children when it’s okay to lie if needed so they can get out of an uncomfortable situation.

It can be hard for kids to say “no”, especially to an older child or an adult.

Teach them scenarios that can help them getaway, this may even mean self-defense strategies.

6. Teach consent early.

For both boys and girls it’s easy to teach consent early.

If kids are playing, perhaps roughhousing, and one clearly is upset and wants it to stop, teach your children to recognize that and follow their lead.

This includes following it yourself with your children. My kids loved to be tickled, but there can be times that their done, follow their lead, and as soon as they show they would like it to stop, then stop.

Make them understand that they have the right to control the situation. They have the right to say ‘No’ or ‘stop’ and the other person should listen.

As well as others have that same right and if they say ‘no’ or ‘stop’ then stop.

7. Don’t require affection.

It may hurt your feelings if your child doesn’t want to give a hug or kiss, it may hurt grandma or grandpa’s feelings, it may hurt Aunt June’s feelings, but DO NOT pressure your children into giving a hug or kiss to anyone they do not want to.

It is within their power to refuse, this goes with teaching consent, it also means teaching children what power they have. They have power over their own body and have the right to say “no.”

What other body safety tips do you have? What have you taught your children? What were you taught that helped you? What were you not taught that you wish you were?

 

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