The Cool Dads Foundation hosted a workshop to educate fathers about access to justice
The Cool Dads Foundation hosted a workshop to educate fathers about access to justice, at the Old KwaThema CCC last Friday.
KwaThema – The Cool Dads Foundation hosted a workshop to educate fathers about access to justice, at the Old KwaThema CCC last Friday.
“Initially, the focus of the foundation was to encourage fathers to spend more time with their children and not be absent in their lives,” explains Bongani Luvalo, founder of the organisation.
He says that as he started spending more time with the fathers who brought their children to the events organised by the foundation, he realised that the men faced more issues that hinder them.
“We have come up with five main structures to help men cultivate and maintain good relationships with their children. Interaction, empowerment, mentorship, toy and clothing collection and advocacy.”
Luvalo believes that the society needs to do more to help a young boy become a good man.
“We warn girls not to fall for bad men, but we don’t teach a boy how not to be bad,” he says.
He adds that men do not have faith in the justice system because it seems to be biased against them in most cases.
“This is why we have brought these different practitioners today to have us understand how we can use the system to our advantage.”
Facilitator of the workshop, Sphumi Mabena encouraged the men to speak out so that solutions can be brought forward.
“Our society is built by individuals who decide to bring solutions to the table, not just problems.”
Koketso Sekhu from the Commission of Gender Equality says that it is important to debunk that terms that people use every day without knowing their true meaning.
Sekhu adds that social constructs make it very difficult to uphold gender equality.
“Society grooms children to fit into the standards it creates for them and these dictate how one should behave.
Boys do this, girls don’t do that,” she says.
She says that most of the men’s frustrations stem from the norms that now seem to have changed and are working against them, especially economic factors.
“The Child Act includes ‘parental planning’.
This is an agreement, in writing, between the two parents about anything that has to do with the child.”
Eunice Poto, a law officer at the Commission explains that the organisation investigates and litigates any instances of gender inequality.
“We are a watchdog, so we monitor legislation.
If we find a piece of legislation suppresses the rights of any gender, we request parliament to revise it.”
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