GRÓ GEST Alumni Bring Together 161 Participants for International Webinar on Masculinity, Mental Health and Well-Being
On 7 July 2026, GRÓ GEST participated in the international webinar Beyond Silence: Conversations on Masculinity, Mental Health and Well-Being, organised by GRÓ GEST alumni Gloria Swilla (Tanzania) and Mumo Everlyne (Kenya) in collaboration with TAMIDA Tanzania, Thrive Together CBO and GRÓ GEST.
The webinar attracted 161 participants from different countries, bringing together researchers, practitioners, mental health professionals, youth leaders and civil society representatives for a rich and highly engaging discussion on masculinities, mental health, gender equality and collective well-being. Originally planned for around 50 participants, the event far exceeded expectations and demonstrated the growing international interest in these issues.
Around the world, men's mental health is receiving increasing attention as an important public health and gender equality issue. High rates of suicide, loneliness, social isolation and the reluctance of many men to seek help have prompted growing research into the relationship between masculinities, emotional well-being and social expectations. Scholars including Kopano Ratele, Jeff Hearn and Tamara Shefer have argued that understanding masculinities is essential not only for addressing violence and gender inequality, but also for building healthier, more caring and more inclusive societies.
These questions are particularly timely in many African contexts, where rapid social and economic change, unemployment, changing family structures and evolving gender roles are reshaping expectations of men and boys. Increasingly, researchers and practitioners argue that creating spaces where men can openly discuss mental health, vulnerability, relationships and care is an important component of both public health and gender equality.
Beyond Silence responded to these challenges by combining academic perspectives with professional practice and community engagement. The programme opened with a moving musical performance exploring men's mental health, followed by a spoken-word performance before bringing together expert presentations, interactive discussions, audience participation and breakout sessions. Rather than focusing only on problems, the discussions explored practical strategies for supporting men's well-being, encouraging help-seeking, challenging harmful gender norms and strengthening healthier relationships and communities.
The expert panel featured Professor Tamara Shefer (University of the Western Cape, South Africa), a long-standing friend of the GRÓ GEST programme who has contributed for many years as both instructor and supervisor, alongside Dr Likindikoki, psychiatrist and lecturer from Tanzania, and Mohamed Ali from Kenya, whose work focuses on young people, community engagement and mental health. Together, they offered complementary perspectives drawn from research, clinical practice and community-based work.
Professor Irma Erlingsdóttir, Director of GRÓ GEST, delivered the opening remarks, introducing the programme and celebrating the initiative as an outstanding example of alumni leadership and international collaboration.
"One of the greatest strengths of GRÓ GEST lies not only in what happens during the fellowship itself, but in what follows afterwards. It is a privilege to see former fellows creating new partnerships, bringing people together across countries and leading important conversations in their own communities. At a time when questions of masculinities and men's mental health are receiving growing international attention, this webinar demonstrates how research, dialogue, creativity and community engagement can come together to promote healthier, more caring and more inclusive societies.”
The webinar reflected one of GRÓ GEST's core objectives: supporting long-term professional networks that continue to generate new collaborations well beyond the fellowship year. It also illustrated how alumni are translating academic knowledge into practical action by creating innovative spaces for dialogue across countries and disciplines.
GRÓ GEST warmly congratulates Gloria Swilla, Mumo Everlyne and Godfrey Molongo, a GRÓ GEST 2026 fellow from Malawi, who skilfully moderated the webinar, together with everyone who contributed to making this inspiring initiative such a success. Seeing fellows from different countries come together to design, lead and facilitate an international event of this calibre is a powerful illustration of the lasting professional networks fostered through GRÓ GEST. The webinar demonstrates how alumni continue to strengthen international collaboration and translate knowledge into practical action to address some of today's most pressing gender equality and public health challenges.