In South Africa, there is an increasing recognition that men’s full participation is important for the achievement of gender equality, the reduction of gender-based violence and ensuring that children and family’s lives and rights are protected. Both international and South African initiatives have been enhanced by the conclusions of the United Nations Commission on Status of Women, which resolved that governments and organisations should develop policies and programmes aiming at the positive engagement of men and boys in gender equality.
In line with this UN resolution, the national Department of Social Development developed the 2008 Strategy on the engagement of men and boys in the prevention of gender-based violence. This is but one of the initiatives of the Department of Social Development aimed at facilitating the involvement of men and boys in prevention of gender-based violence, as part of implementing the resolution of the 48th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 2004.
When we look at the numbers of men in our prisons today and the staggering rates of sexual assault, child and infant rape and domestic abuse, and the number of absent fathers, it is clear that something is deeply troubling the fabric of masculinity and fatherhood. Many children today, both in South Africa and the rest of the world, do not live with their fathers. “Desertion by fathers is often prompted by their inability to bear the burden of being primary providers. The burden of failure becomes intolerable for those who lack the capacity to generate enough income as uneducated and unskilled labourers. Desertion is not always physical, it can also be emotional. Many men ‘die’ as parents and husbands by indulging in alcohol, drugs or becoming unresponsive to their families.” Research shows that children who don’t have fathers are much more likely to be depressed, fail at school, commit crimes, have sex early on and (for girls) fall pregnant. In this year alone, many criminal activities have cascaded against our women and children.
We know that responsible, committed and involved fatherhood is an essential component of any attempt to transform families and societies into new norms that better reflect gender equity, child rights and shared parenting responsibilities and enjoyment. It is in the home that gender inequality is at its most powerful and sometimes most hidden. Positive fatherhood therefore plays an important part in challenging the intergenerational transmission of damaging stereotypes and power relations. More commitment must be demonstrated to strengthening the father role and supporting men to realise their potential to facilitate their children’s attitudes and practices and, as men heal themselves from damaging and restrictive negative gender roles. I want to salute the men of this proud community who are creating a platform for men to raise their views on the current spate of violent acts and I want to challenge men out there to form part of the communal space where the roles of men are being discussed and deliberated in order to strengthen the structure of equitable gender transformation.
An important challenge in our quest to engage Men as Partners actively lies specifically with the social development sector, and more specifically social work, and many other professions to evaluate the relationships and policies that impact on men.
If we are browse the literature on men. In social work, for example, you will find very few articles relating to service delivery and involvement of fathers in social work issues, except those that refer to men as abusers, difficult clients and “alleged fathers”. We will have to do more to find ways to engage more actively and positively with men and fathers in the profession.
The family remains the most important social institution, and work with men and boys cannot be done in isolation from the family. On the eve of Father’s Day, let us join hands and find ways to tackle crimes committed against our women and children. Let us become protectors of our society.
