Boys Aren’t Born Abusers: A Look at Men’s Role in Ending GBV
- In honour of this year’s 16 Days of Activism, a non-profit organisation and public benefit organisation, Father A Nation (FAN), explained the role men play in ending GBV
- In an exclusive interview with Briefly News, one of the organisation’s members, Geraldine Mangwiro, offered more insight into the topic
- GBV statistics are embarrassingly high in South Africa, with women and children dying in the hands of men
The 16 Days of Activism campaign in South Africa mobilises all sectors of society to fight GBV and challenge people to take a stance.
Source: UGC
Challenging stereotypes that perpetuate the violence aimed at women and children is the campaign’s significance.
A look at men’s role in ending GBV
FAN has taken a step forward in hopes of making impactful change in South Africa by creating a programme to spread awareness aimed at healing men, the primary perpetrators of gender-based violence. The organisation aims to tackle the root causes of GBV, crime and fatherlessness.
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They shared how healing men will eventually heal society:
“The first is mental health in men, and the second is distorted notions of what it means to be a man, particularly in relationship to women.
"We address the mental health issues in men by creating safe spaces for men to dialogue and talk about their challenges and issues. We find remarkable results when men simply talk enc, courage, and support each other.
“Burdens that they’ve been carrying for many years surface, and they find that they are in a company of men who often have the same issues and challenges, creating a real sense of camaraderie, release, and healing. We deal with the issue of distorted notions of masculinity by teaching boys and men what it means to live with positive, healthy masculinity.”
The plan is to reach deep into the man’s core and deal with childhood trauma and burdens they may face:
“Men struggle with issues such as low self-esteem, anger, abandonment, neglect, abuse, and also the narrative that men are toxic and even trash. Helping men deal with and overcome these issues contributes enormously to reducing and ultimately eliminating gender-based violence.
“A healthy man would never ever abuse or take advantage of a woman. He does not need to. He knows that he is whole and doesn’t need external validation. He doesn’t need to dominate or take what’s not his to make himself feel better.”
FAN’s study showed that a lot of GBV cases are caused by men’s harmful belief that they are superior to women:
- 70% of men believe a woman should obey her husband
- 23% believe a woman can never refuse to sleep with her husband
- 15% believe a husband has the right to punish his wife for perceived wrongs
To unlearn this norm, the organisation shared that they have created courses and study materials to rewrite the narrative:
“We have a body of material in the form of booklets and courses called The Six Pack of Masculine Virtues, which teaches positive, healthy masculinity. It teaches men that women are our equal co-creators of the world, worthy of equal respect and equal opportunity.
“Only when we understand why abuse occurs can we come up with the solutions to it. Accountability and responsibility for actions are absolutely paramount for overcoming gender-based violence, given the fact that there is never an excuse.
"But when we look at what drives GBV, given that no boy is born an abuser, and start to understand what it is that goes wrong in a boy’s journey to manhood, we can start to find real solutions.”
3 more GBV-related stories by Briefly News
- 16-year-old breadwinner in GBV home becomes single mom looking for love in wrong places
- Woman hysterical after SAPS loses GBV case evidence, SA upset
- Uyinene’s murderer back in court over 2014 attempted rape, Mzansi blames SA justice system
Source: Briefly News
