MEN AND WOMEN UNITE IN JOBURG TO END GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

By Moipone Matsapola.

• A range of recommendations came out of a recent dialogue between men and women on the crisis of gender-based violence.
• Participants noted that unspoken pain often turns into violence, resulting in a wounded society.
• Much can be done to change the narrative, including holding more dialogues involving men, promoting positive masculinity, providing gender-based violence perpetrator rehabilitation programmes, and offering legal and counselling services.

A group of 150 men and women from the Gauteng Province and City of Johannesburg recently gathered to talk about the cause and effect of gender-based violence and to find solutions to the crisis.

The meeting, held at the Department of Economic Development in Johannesburg, was organised by the Gauteng Department of Social Development as part of the 365 days of activism campaign against gender-based violence and femicide, and the National Strategic Plan for gender-based violence and femicide.

By focusing on both men’s and women’s roles in ending gender-based violence, the gathering aimed to change the narrative and inspire and support men and women to contribute significantly to the eradication of gender-based violence as it affects everyone in some way. Both men and women can be perpetrators and victims.

Director for social crime prevention and victim empowerment programmes in the department, Pearl Moabelo, kept the spark of dialogue alive, probing both the men and women on why, as people, we are evolving yet the masculinity lens remains fixed.

The role of men in society was placed under a microscope, with participants examining the impact of a person’s upbringing, issues around gender roles and patriarchal norms, considerations of safety, advocacy for gender equality, and addressing attitudes towards the LGBTQIA+ community.

While gender-based violence is usually associated with women, they are not the only victims. Although men rarely report or vocalise their experiences of gender-based violence, it does not nullify the fact that they are victims too.

Nothando Vilane from the Office of the Premier advocated for the healing of communities and society. She noted that unspoken pain often turns into violence, resulting in a wounded society that is robbed of exercising its human rights.

It is for this reason that the Gauteng Provincial Government is invested in men breaking free from silence and gender-based violence cycles by building partnerships with tertiary institutions, faith-based organisations, and traditional leaders.

The province plans to facilitate more dialogues involving men, promoting positive masculinity, providing gender-based violence perpetrator rehabilitation programmes, and offering legal and counselling services.

Victor Seshoka from the Johannesburg Housing Company encouraged participants to conduct conversations on gender-based violence in their spaces without fear.

“Parents must not be afraid to confront gender-based violence just because the perpetrator is a breadwinner,” Seshoka said.

Palesa Kubheka, who witnessed domestic violence during her childhood, said she and her siblings could not understand the reason their mother kept reconciling with their abusive father until she was a young adult.

“Women stay in toxic relationships for the sake of their children. I am glad that nowadays, women are also providers. Not to take power from men but to ensure our children are provided for without being subjected to abuse,” she said.

The outcomes of the dialogue were many and complex:
•⁠ ⁠Men are aware of their role in society in eradicating the root causes of gender-based violence.
•⁠ ⁠Men must be ambassadors against gender-based violence and pledge their commitment to promote a gender-based violence-free country.
•⁠ ⁠The networks between stakeholders must be strengthened.
•⁠ ⁠Awareness must also be raised about male violence and men as victims of gender-based violence.
•⁠ ⁠The Department of Social Development must continue to support and fund non-profit organisations implementing programmes focused on prevention and the restoration of social cohesion (Pillar 2) and response, care, support and healing (Pillar 4).