The Traveling Conference was comprised of faith leaders, policemen, lawyers, sportsmen, artists, students and persons living with HIV/AIDS aged between 19 and 81. The tour was organised as part of the Sixteen Days of Activism — a worldwide campaign on ending violence against women that takes place each year from November 25th to December 10th.

Billed as an advocacy and outreach event, participants traveled from their countries by bus to meet in Lilongwe, Malawi, stopping along the way to speak to thousands of people on issues of gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS. In each town they stopped at, the men used music, dance, drama and lively debate to captivate and involve their audiences.

Buses were decorated with banners proclaiming "Peace in Africa Begins At Home: Men Fight GBV", and "Men Working to Stop the Spread of HIV/AIDS". Drums and megaphones helped to make the messages heard.

Health Gender, Women

The conference was aimed at mobilising groups of men to combat gender discrimination. The project organiser, The African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) targets men as partners who are critical to reach out to other men to build awareness, sensitivity, and to change attitudes about male identity and unequal power relationships between men and women.

"Gender bias takes two, If we use advocacy to combat it, then both sides, men and women, must be involved. When you stand up for something, and do it publicly, you can change things."