No boy Is born an abuser: GBV can be eradicated before it starts
As the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children Campaign approaches, a groundbreaking NGO is putting a stop to the cycle of gender-based violence at its core.
A father who was planning his family’s murder and his suicide, husbands who beat their partners, and men who abandon and abuse, Craig Wilkinson has seen it all.
However, he still believes that true masculinity is a force for good and that if we can heal and restore men, South Africa can stop destructive masculine behaviour in its tracks.
Wilkinson is the founder and CEO of Father A Nation, a non-profit organisation that works to encourage positive masculinity in SA. The organisation has been teaching and inspiring boys and men for over 10 years to live with positive, healthy masculinity and stand against any form of abuse.
“Many men and women in SA grow up without the presence of a father or positive male figure. This often results in paternal wounds and destructive beliefs about masculinity, with young men looking to figures such as gangsters, abusers, or absent fathers as role models. This highlights the critical role of a positive male figure in shaping the minds of boys and men in the country,” said Wilkinson.
During 16 Days of Activism from November 25 to December 10, Wilkinson, who is also a bestselling author and motivational speaker, and his team at Father A Nation will host hundreds of men at dynamic Gender Based Violence (GBV) workshops in hotspots around Gauteng and the Western Cape.
The sessions will engage between 30 and 100 men at a time in open and honest conversation and provide training in positive, healthy masculinity.
“Our philosophy at Father A Nation is that if we can heal men, we can heal the world. We focus on working with men to become excellent fathers, mentors, role models and just good men.”
“The solution to GBV is to stop it in its tracks, men are the primary perpetrators of physical and sexual GBV. While it’s critical to create awareness and support victims; ideally, we don’t want victims at all and the way to stop that happening is to stop wounded men from being abusive.”
The sessions always produce lively debate and rich, authentic personal stories of both struggle and triumph. “The engagements are highly effective in helping men to understand what GBV is, examine their own lives and provide them with the knowledge and motivation to turn their lives around. Healthy masculinity never abuses.”
Details: Visit www.fatheranation.co.za to find out more.
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