Stand up and be counted

DURING our #DontLookAway campaign, we challenged select influencers daily to reflect on what kind of role models they are … or have become. We pushed them to do better by committing to pledges.

Why?

Because women are being brutalised weekly, daily, hourly in a pandemic of bloody and murderous toxic masculinity, gender-based violence and femicide that is gripping our nation. The horror is real. We did this because these influencers are well-placed to shape the thinking of the very young, the public, the public services, and those who work or serve under them. We did this because talking is simply not enough.

We did this because we need action. We did this because we need results. But the influencers we selected cannot do it alone. It is not just their problem.

It is your problem too, and no matter who you are, what you do, where you find yourself, your contribution is critical to putting an end to this scourge. That is why today, we are pleading with every South African to stand up and be counted, to be the best version of yourself that you can be … we need to bring this insanity to an end.

You must #talk2yourboys so that they can grow up to be better men, so that they can be the ones to break this cycle of this violence … rather than becoming a part of it.

We plead that you reflect on these promises, we plead that you become an agent for this crucial change. We challenged fathers, mothers, teachers, social influencers, coaches, healthcare workers, husbands, policemen, young men, members of the judiciary, workplace managers, religious leaders and our President.

But you – and every single South African – are vital to overcoming this national crisis.

Remember – this campaign does not end today … it starts today. #talk2yourboys