Role of men to fight GBV in society discussed in Jabavu
Other issues which were raised were poverty and unemployment as the key drivers and contributing factors to GBVF and breakdown of families.
Last week Tuesday, the Department of Social Development Men’s Forum in association with the Gauteng Department of Community Safety hosted a men’s conference at the White City Ipeleng Community Centre, Jabavu.
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The purpose of the conference was to reflect on the role and responsibilities of the men’s movement in the fight against Gender-based Violence and Femicide and to unite all the men’s forums in the Gauteng province.
Further, the conference discussed factors that destroy men in societies.
Bongani Ngomane, Department of Social Development’s Chief Director said, “We have invited all men’s forums in Gauteng to discuss the response towards issues around GBV.
“To also discuss the universal approach as to how best we can deal with GBV as men in South Africa in order to have a peaceful society.”
One of the issues discussed was toxic masculinity and how from a very young age it has denied a boy child to live out their feelings. It is the society’s norm that a boy child or man is not supposed to cry or have conversations about their emotions.
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Toxic masculinity is an attitude or set of social guidelines stereotypically associated with manliness that often have a negative impact on men, women, and society in general.
“We start very early with tigers don’t cry with our boy children. As a result we end up bottling it all inside and the more we do it, it will eventually erupt. While the only way we know how to communicate is in anger and it is those things that ultimately cause GBV,” said Linda Yende from Empowamen.
GBV is a serious issue in South African communities.
It does not only destroy families but it inflicts violence and death. It gives birth to child headed homes and children grow up angry at the world.
According to Matome Kganakga from the Men’s Parliament, in order to prevent GBV in South Africa.
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It is important that men unlearn the traits of producing from a wounded masculinity without feeling undermined or stripped of their identity.
“Men struggle to exist outside of this wounded masculinity, however, it is about time that we release our boys and men to access all spectrum of humanity without feeling ashamed of being a man,” said Kganakga.
Other issues which were raised were poverty and unemployment as the key drivers and contributing factors to GBVF and breakdown of families.
Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Thapelo Amad who was invited as the keynote speaker said, “One of the key factors that promote and perpetuate gender inequality and violence against women and children is the legacy of apartheid, which has left residues of structural injustices.”
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“Although GBV knows no race, creed, or class, women and children who reside in the peripheral sections of Gauteng are often the ones who bear the brunt of falling victim to violence,” Mayor Amad added.
The imperative now is also to address issues that are commonly faced by men while grooming men to be agents of change in our communities.
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