SA ‘lacking positive male role models’
As the world observes International Men’s Day on Tuesday to raise awareness of issues affecting men, the day in South Africa comes at a time when men are often seen as instigators of many social ills.
On Monday, the Human Science Research Council (HSRC) released the findings of the first national gender-based violence prevalence study in Tshwane.
It found that 35.5% of women in South Africa experienced sexual and/or physical violence in their lifetime.
This translates to over 7.8 million women aged 18 years and older.
A further 23.9%, or more than 3.4 million women, said they experienced sexual and/or physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner.
This year's theme, "Positive Male Role Models," emphasises the need for open discussions on men's mental health and the creation of supportive environments for them to thrive.
“What we are finding in our society is where the role models have become criminals in townships where boys look up gangsters and criminals because they have flashy cars,” said Not In My Name founder Themba Masango.
“However, we encourage men in society to say that you can be a positive role model in a child’s life by being present.”
Masango added that positive male role models are hard to find due to the many fatherless households.
“This makes a challenge for a boy child who is growing up because it is very important to have a male figure to look up to.”
According to Statistics South Africa, the number of children in South Africa who are fatherless is significant, with 42% of children living with only their mothers and 21.3% not living with either parent.
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