In order to curb the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV), the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation hosted a summit to throw its weight behind the fight.
Speaking at Birchwood Conference Centre in Boksburg where the summit was held on Tuesday, Minister Blade Nzimande said the freedom of citizens will never be complete unless there is an end to GBV and discrimination.
The summit was as a result of discussions at UN agency Unesco over the past year
“Men need to fight against GBV and be on the side of gender equality. Women oppression is the sharpest in the black race,” Nzimande said.
“Gender inequality is not a woman’s issue. It is a human rights issue that affects everyone in society.
“The engagement of men and boys is a crucial element for us to achieve the progress we desire in South Africa and beyond.”
Nzimande noted that if South Africa wants to notice change, progressive men should not be afraid of change, adding that the rate at which women are killed by their partners is five times higher than the global average.
“Gender-based violence, a widespread and common occurrence in South Africa, is deeply ingrained in homes, workplaces, cultures and traditions,” he said.
He explained further that GBV manifests in different forms including physical, emotional, psychological, financial or structural harm, and is usually perpetrated by intimate partners, colleagues, strangers, and even institutions.
“We know GBV is found in all South Africa’s ethnic, cultural and linguistic communities and is deeply connected to the history of patriarchy.
“With an increasing awareness of men and boys as a necessary part of the solution, there is an urgent need to chart a clear road ahead for their involvement as change agents for gender equality.”
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa engaged with young men and boys about GBV and femicide at Maponya Mall, Soweto on Tuesday.
The president told the indaba that it is time for society to redefine masculinity.
“When I declared GBV as a pandemic in the midst of Covid-19, it was because of these GBV cases that happen in the most intimate spaces like homes,” said Ramaphosa.
“We have a challenge of reaching out to all men, because men refuse to speak.
“We will add programmes to reach out to boys who aren’t here, because we want you to be a generation of men who vocalise their feelings instead of resorting to violence.”
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