Men have been advised to take more roles in parenthood like participating in nurturing children, and family activities other than being merely bread winners.
According to research experts, the men can bond with other family members through constant communication, sharing home cores and resolving arising challenges together which may not be the case if they were not at home.
Dr Amon Mwine from Makerere University school of women and gender studies says that from the lockdown which compelled men to stay longer at home with their children and spouses, this revealed the possibility that men can be fathers, parents, nurture children, and be in the kitchen.
Mwine urges that they can make home a safer place to stay in rather than to commute to and disappear in the morning.
Giving an example of how men experienced various new things, Mwine says that, gender based violence increased because men were not used to being with their spouses at home and as a result, this came with many challenges including fights.
A number of gender based violence cases were reported during the lockdown. Over 3000 cases were reported through the police, over 400 cases reported through the national gender based violence database, over 1000 cases were reported through the child help line 116.
Dr Mwine urges men to keep on doing what they experienced during the over stay at home in lockdown. Adding that, this will help them be good parents and husbands.
Josephine Ahikire, Associate Professor, School of Women and Gender Studies, Makerere University remarks that through the research carried out, there is a lot that happened during lockdown due to the long stay of men at home.
Professor Ahikire says, it is the time that the men should know that they can do more than provide financial support to their families.
Ahikire wonders why men struggle to build houses they do not want to stay in adding that the children and spouses need much of their attention and emotional support not only bringing food on table.
Professor further adds that through Covid-19 reality and experience, men should stand to gain from gender equality calls for creative thought and focus on men and boys as change agents and beneficiaries of violence-free communities, something that resonates strongly with permissive learnings.
