Men must lead the fight against GBV

EVERY year from 25 November – 10 December, the spotlight falls on gender-based violence (GBV) and the devastating impact it has on women and children, and the social fabric of society.

The theme for the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign for 2022 is ‘Socio-economic rights and empowerment to build women’s resilience against gender-based violence and femicide’.

During the 16 days period, government, together with civil society and the private sector hosts a series of community and sector dialogues and activities to foster a collaborative effort in dealing with GBV.

The pages of this newspaper have already been filled with awareness articles about GBV and the efforts of local NPOs to raise the alarm and spark important discussions around this devastating scourge that is ravaging our country.

The success of this campaign rests on our daily individual and collective actions to safeguard our society from the cycle of abuse against women and children.

Communities are urged to challenge cultures and practices that perpetuate gender inequalities and consequent abuse of women and children at personal and societal level.

But should we not change our approach entirely? Perpetrators of GBV should be included in these important dialogues to give us a better understanding as to why the plight is worsening amid increased awareness campaigns.

The wave of violence being unleashed on women and children is a brutality that defies comprehension. The frightening reality is that our women and children are dying or being raped at the hands of their own spouses, boyfriends, fathers, uncles, brothers and grandfathers – violent men with utterly no regard for the sanctity of human life. They are not unknown perpetrators and were meant to be guardians. These rapists and killers walk among us and live with us. They are in our communities, from religious, traditional and community leaders to relatives and friends.

Yet, the men of the country do not take ownership for this repetitive and worsening cycle of domestic violence against the most vulnerable of society. It’s almost as if we have become desensitised to the ongoing cases of abuse. It’s pointless discussing a scourge involving men if they are excluded from the discussion table. Convicted rapists and murderers may be able to shed light on the root causes behind such brutal and violent actions.

Men are responsible for gender-based violence and that’s the cold fact. This plague can only be overcome – if we work together, if we each take personal responsibility for our actions and if we all take care of each other. Mindsets and behaviours need to change now and it starts with the men of this country taking accountability for their actions.