Community Life Project Moves to End Male Superiority Complex in Imo …Defines Complementary Gender Roles

ThankGod Emeh…

A frontline community-based civil society organization poised for the peace, growth and development of families and communities across boards, known as Community Life Project, CLP has taken the bull by the horns to champion an end to unhealthy Masculinity in Imo villages, stressing that all genders are created equal and need a sense of belonging in both family and community decision making process.

The Programmes Manager of Community Life Project, CLP, Celine Osukwu in a one-day sensitization training for Town Union Leaders in Owerri North local government area of Imo state on Saturday June 28, 2025 said the essence of the programme is to promote healthy masculinity and capacity building in families, villages and communities at large by engaging critical stakeholders to change the narrative in society, noting that the work of CLP is to give voice to the voiceless as well as promote inclusivity in society.

“All we do is community work and we are not here to impose anything on anybody. It is left for the stakeholders to know their problems and handle them accordingly”

“We look out for communities that are unheard and not well served in society”

“We are here to promote what is healthy and just for every member of that community”

Osukwu stressed that   widowhood practices, discrimination, parental favoritism, gender bias, child labour, domestic violence, addiction and harmful habits among others would be a thing of the past when stakeholders commit themselves to the systematic implementation approaches highlighted at the training.

The CLP Programmes Manager however described the group’s intervention in the locality as welcoming and encouraging as feedback from indigenes of Obibi Uratta Autonomous Community shows a paradigm shift from the old order of communal living having trained the women, and youth leaders accordingly in recent times.

“We have gone round the community and from the discussions, they told us that the impact of our training is already being felt in the locality.

Adding his voice, the CLP Coordinator of the programme, Prof. Simon Eze emphasized that the society will be a better place as soon as most harmful sociocultural practices such as lack of financial and emotional support, failure to protect family members from harm as well as not resolving conflicts fairly are jettisoned. 

“We are here to see what we can do to influence changes in some of the sociocultural behaviours that are not just and healthy to men because there are some of this sociocultural beliefs that are not very healthy for men and makes men die younger than women.

” In our interaction with them, they have shown willingness to do away with such beliefs”

Prof. Eze equally encouraged the participants to lead by example by demonstrating fairness, respect and responsibility in daily life, adding that a just family is the foundation of a strong and fair society.

Commending the Group for their sensitization/training, the Traditional Ruler of Obibi Uratta Autonomous Community, Eze Boniface Ariri (Eze Udo the 4th) urged the participants to always accommodate their female children in their allocation of wealth, noting that both male and female children are gifts from God and are legally bonded hence qualified to partake in the property sharing of their parents.

Eze Ariri charged the men to always live stress-free lives by overlooking some of the issues that cause them stress, worries and sleepless nights, noting that most of the issues are unnecessary and uncalled for to weigh one down and as well shorten their lives.

Speaking alongside other participants, Mr Francis Ogbuihi and Mr Ikechukwu Emeaña described the training as highly enriching, noting that the programme has transformed their characters, and morals within a short period.

They also called on the management of CLP as well as other civil society organizations to always engage the people dutifully to change bad narratives in society.