Men’s forum offers support
The forum provides platforms for men to be empowered on different issues such as leadership, planning, career, spiritual war fares, emotional intelligence, and strategic forms of dealing with Gender-Based Violence
The month of June is Men’s Health Month.
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The purpose of this month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.
This month is about encouraging men to look after themselves and seek help or treatment for disease and injury. But being healthy is not only about the medical side of things.
GCN spoke to the department of social development men’s forum which is a leading structure that advocates issues affecting men in communities.
The forum runs programmes such as workshops, outreach programmes, man-to-man dialogues, boy-child dialogues, establishing structures in communities, meetings, seminars, and public campaigns, as part of educating men.
The forum provides platforms for men to be empowered on different issues such as leadership, planning, career, spiritual war fares, emotional intelligence and strategic forms of dealing with Gender-Based Violence.
Mongezi Mhlanga, the coordinator for the men’s forum, said the forum aims at transforming SA men into a peaceful gender-sensitive society and promoting positive male role models.
“Men face challenges and that can even lead to neglecting their health. We focus on the mind and spiritual welfare of a man. Dealing with an issue that makes men toxic to society,” said Mhlanga.
The forum was established in 2012 and at the time it only focused on changing the mindset of internal staff members, but in 2013 the forum stretched into the communities by doing outreach programmes and established structures in all communities visited.
“The forum prides itself on the establishment of the programme which started as the South African men of the year awards in 2015, which aimed to profile positive nation-building through identifying and recognising the positive impact done by SA men and change the negative image of South African men,” said Mhlanga.
The forum focuses on spiritual growth, counselling and support, and advocacy for victims of Gender-Based Violence. He said men are facing many challenges and social standards and pressure play a major role.
“Men are afraid to speak out because of pride and losing their manhood. There is pressure at work, home, and in relationships, and because men are always expected to deliver in all these aspects of their lives, they are ticking time bombs because many of them don’t seek help,” said Mhlanga.
He said the forum is bridging that gap where they offer the platform for men to speak out.
“We encourage men not to keep these issues inside and find ways to assist. But the most important thing is first acknowledging the problem,” said Mhlanga.
Like many organisations, the men’s forum has its challenges. Mhlanga said most men affiliated with the forum are unemployed.
“Lack of resources makes it difficult to fully assist these men. Lack of funding to sponsor and support men’s organisations in communities is a challenge because as a forum we would like to offer more support to men, like funding their business ideas and models to eradicate poverty in their communities and families,” said Mhlanga.
He urged men to speak out and take a stand for their well-being and encouraged them to look after their health.
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