Champion men increase voice against gender-based violence
ALEXANDRA – Men's 'gangs for good' meet weekly to discuss and take a stand against gender-based violence.
Men in Alex are intensifying their resolve against gender-based violence which they say is tarnishing their name and the country.
‘Not in our name’, they said at their latest of series of rotating weekend meetings, this time held at the 3rd Avenue Library. The gatherings of only men are called by groups who want to affirm their commitment to an anti-gender-based violence campaign spearheaded by NPO Takuwani Riime (Tshivenda for take a stand). The gatherings consist of daily meetings of 10 men per group who are moulded into champions by the NPO’s executive members who have been trained on gender-based violence programmes. The groups are said to be swelling the numbers as men want to take a stand against the violence which results in many deaths and maiming of women and children by those they expect to be their intimate partners, fathers and brothers.
Various groups and organisations are invited to the gatherings to enhance the awareness and help men understand their roles in society, the home and community, know their identity and change attitudes about the self, others and the virtues deriving from co-existing positively with women and children.
“Violence in men derives from the lack of understanding of masculinity and its role in society, how they should co-function with women in nurturing and caring for the family,” said Craig Wilkinson of partner NPO, Father a Nation.
He added, “Many men struggle to play this role because of the high expectation placed on them by society’s current lifestyle based on money and materialism which many can’t match due to unemployment and inequality.
“These combine into a perfect storm which makes them feel emasculated resulting in frustration and anger which they let out on women, children and among themselves.”
He said many of these men also resorted to violence to mask their wounds caused by past history and racism which demeaned particularly African men and distorted and linked the concept of masculinity with violence. “It will take long to change this psych in broken men of wanting to abuse to prove themselves that they are strong.
“The campaigns create the father figures as champions who helped the broken men to also support each other as ‘gangs for good’ and ‘bands of brothers’ against gender-based violence.”
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