A LOCAL youth organisation, Students and Youth Working on Reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT), is advocating for male involvement as equal partners in the quest to eliminate violence against women.
By Phyllis Mbanje
Working in collaboration with UN Women, SAYWHAT has launched an aggressive campaign called Men to Men which is part of a global initiative, internationally known as the HeForShe which focuses on ensuring that men actively participate in stamping out the social scourge.
While research has often pointed out that men are actually the main perpetrators of gender-based violence (GBV), they have been systematically excluded in all efforts to fight GBV.
“We aim to reach 10 000 men through this campaign and we will make use of college students who will in turn raise awareness among other males in the communities,” said Sendisa Ndlovu, the SAYWHAT programmes officer.
He said violence against women was a challenge that affects both men and women and that development can only take place if both men and women are participating on an equal footing.
