In the heart of Togo’s capital, Lomé, a group of men are rewriting the narrative of their community. They’re members of the Togblékopé Father's Club, and they’re on a mission to become champions for women.
Set up by the Togolese Red Cross in 2013, the Father’s Club seeks to tackle the harmful attitudes and behaviours holding women in the country back.
It began when the Togolese Red Cross Society discovered that many pregnant women in Lomé weren’t accessing the healthcare services they needed—in some cases because they didn’t have the means, but in others because their male partners simply weren’t letting them.
So volunteers set up the Father’s Club to bring men in the community together and help them understand why it’s important to respect, and stand up for, women’s rights and needs.
'Papa Champions' trained by the Togolese Red Cross to advocate for women's rights hold a meeting with mother's club members in Togblékopé, Togo.
Photo: IFRC/Aduratomi Bolade
Ten years on, members are now dubbed ‘Papa Champions’ and proudly advocate for women’s reproductive health, tackle gender-based violence, and act as role models for other men in their community.
Sama Abdou Rahime Arabiou, Togolese Red Cross volunteer and President of the Togblékopé Father’s Club, is the driving force behind the initiative and has a heart full of compassion. He believes women are integral to the well-being of every community and deserve to live as freely and happily as men.
Sama Abdou Rahime Arabiou, Togolese Red Cross volunteer and President of the Togblékopé Father’s Club, speaks at a Papa Champion session attended by local women and men.
Photo: IFRC/Aduratomi Bolade
The first priority for the Father’s Club was reproductive health. Traditionally, women in Togo have had limited access to information about family planning and reproductive health services. So Papa Champions headed out into their community to share trusted health information with men and women.
“We do door-to-door sensitization. We talk to men about the benefits of breastfeeding and other health-related activities,” explains Sama.
Women in Togblékopé report seeing a big difference in their partners and in community attitudes towards women, thanks to the Papa Champions.
“Before, there were some women who couldn’t do anything. They did nothing and were always at home. But through our meetings, their husbands let them start businesses. They now accompany their wives to the hospital for the prenatal consultation for childbirth,” says Azoumi Boukari, a mother from Togblékopé and member of a local Mother’s Club set up by the Togolese Red Cross.
Men in Togblékopé, Togo participate in a Father's Club meeting.
Photo: IFRC/Aduratomi Bolade
Papa Champions are also very active in tackling the pervasive issue of gender-based violence, often running workshops for men on understanding consent and respecting women’s boundaries.
They also patrol their neighbourhoods to ensure women can walk safely without fear of harassment, intervening whenever they see a woman in distress and setting a positive example for younger generations.
“Since this club was started in our community, I have seen a lot of changes in my husband…They [Papa Champions] have brought joy to our homes,” adds Azoumi.
The Togblékopé Father's Club has proven that men can, and should, be powerful allies in the fight for women's rights and gender equality.
Not only have they improved the lives of women in their community, they’ve set a precedent for a more equitable society in Togo—in which being a ‘champion’ for women is no longer noteworthy, it’s the norm.