Beyond roses and romance: Abel Mutua’s Men’s Conference 2025 redefines Valentine’s Day
For years, the so-called Men’s Conference was nothing more than an internet meme – an excuse for men to sidestep Valentine’s Day and other women-centric celebrations.
But on February 14, 2025, content creator Abel Mutua turned satire into substance, hosting the country’s first real Men’s Conference with a powerful message: accountability.
Mutua, a well-known filmmaker and digital storyteller, initially sparked the conversation with a viral video questioning why men hesitate to speak their minds to one another.
The overwhelming response, hundreds of thousands of views and tens of thousands of comments, compelled him to organize an event that would encourage open dialogue among men.
At the heart of the conference was a pressing issue: violence against women.
In 2024, Kenya witnessed a dramatic rise in femicide. The gathering on Valentine’s Day 2025 served as a call to action.
Mutua challenged men to hold each other accountable and reject the normalization of gender-based violence.
“What is happening is that we are becoming desensitized to these things,” Mutua told the audience.
“Violence against women is being made to look like ‘ah, that’s just their issue,’ and that’s where we go wrong. That is the attitude we need to abandon. When we leave this Men’s Conference, we should walk away knowing that the word of the day is accountability.”
Throughout the event, participants shared personal stories – some detailing moments when they confronted violence against women, others admitting times they failed to act.
The discussions highlighted a crucial shift: men are beginning to recognize their role not just as bystanders, but as active agents in preventing harm.
Alarming statistics
The conference took place against the backdrop of alarming statistics.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 725 cases of femicide were reported in Kenya in 2024, translating to a staggering 2.66 deaths per 100,000 women.
On average, 47 women are killed weekly, with three-quarters of these crimes perpetrated by spouses, partners, relatives, or friends.
Kenyan authorities responded with urgency.
On January 10, 2025, President William Ruto appointed a 42-member task force, led by former Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Barasa, to address the high rates of femicide and gender-based violence (GBV).
The task force was given 90 days to submit recommendations to Deputy President Kithure Kindiki through the Office of the Gender Principal Secretary, Anne Wang’ombe.
In December 2024, Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat revealed that 97 femicide cases had been recorded in just three months, a grim testament to the scale of the problem.
Against this grim reality, Abel Mutua’s conference was a rare and necessary moment of introspection.
While government initiatives seek structural solutions, grassroots movements like the Men’s Conference emphasize cultural change.
Whether this event marks the beginning of a larger movement remains to be seen. But for Mutua and the men in attendance, the message was clear: the fight against gender-based violence begins with individual responsibility – and with men holding each other to a higher standard.
