Empowering Men to Break the Cycle of GBV-Raising Fathers Initiative

As we continue commemorating the 16 Days of Activism, more voices are rising to speak against the Gender-Based Violence that targets women and creates unsafe spaces for them.

Ending GBV requires more than outrage but a deep and honest understanding of its roots before meaningful action can take place. In many communities, the majority of perpetrators are men.

This truth does not imply that all men are violent or naturally harmful, rather, it highlights where healing, restoration, and transformation are most urgently needed.

Chris Simon Mubiru, the CEO of the Raising Fathers Initiative emphasizes that if we want lasting change, we must address the source, not to condemn men, but to help them become who they were created to be.

At the Raising Fathers Initiative, their mission is to walk alongside men, guiding them toward true manhood and fatherhood as God intended.
“Real change begins when a man discovers his identity in Christ,” he stresses.

“When he understands that he is loved, chosen, and empowered by God, something shifts within him. He no longer feels the need to control through fear or react with anger. He begins to see that Christ’s model of manhood is rooted in love, sacrifice, and responsibility. ”notes Mubiru

He explains that many men who mistreat their wives or children are not acting out of desire, but out of deep, unresolved wounds. Some grew up without fathers, others were raised in violent homes, some carry lifelong rejection, while others have been emotionally hurt by their partners.

Because they were never taught how to express pain in healthy ways, their bodies respond through aggression, silence, or withdrawal. In moments of pressure, frustration, or fear, violence becomes a reflex rather than a choice.

“This is why healing is not optional, it is essential,” he says. “When men are supported, listened to, and taught a new way of living, transformation becomes possible.”

Mubiru emphasizes that men first need a safe space before any healing can begin. Many have never been told that it is okay to feel pain, to cry, or to struggle. Without emotional permission, they remain trapped inside their wounds.


At RFI, they believe that through counselling, mentorship, prayer, and community, men can learn to confront their wounds instead of hiding them. As they encounter God, they discover that their past does not define them, and that Christ offers a new identity rooted in strength, grace, and purpose.

According to Mubiru, a healed man becomes patient, gentle, and intentional. He learns to love his wife the way Christ loves the Church with selflessness, commitment, listening, and compassion. He learns to father his children with presence, guidance, and encouragement. He begins to understand that responsibility is not a burden but a calling.” Mubiru explains

Mubiru believes that when men are restored, their families are restored as well. When a man becomes whole, his home becomes safer. When he understands his value, he no longer feels the need to prove it through dominance or anger. When he is secure in God, he becomes a protector rather than a threat.