Dr Mzamo Masito has called for men to be actively involved in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), arguing that society must do more to educate men about violence, fatherhood and the responsibilities that come with being a male role model.

Speaking at the Move-It for Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Activation, hosted by the FirstRand Empowerment Foundation at FNB Wes-Rand on October 29, Masito said men could not remain on the sidelines of a crisis in which, he noted, they are responsible for a significant proportion of violent deaths. He was careful to point out that this did not mean all men were perpetrators, but argued that men as a group had an important role to play in ending violence against women, girls, boys and other men.

Masito said one of the starting points should be to stop assuming that men already understood the consequences of their actions or knew what was expected of them. Instead, he called for society to invest in educating men in the same way it had undertaken public awareness campaigns around HIV/Aids and Covid-19.

Read more: FirstRand Empowerment Foundation urges private sector to back GBVF fight at FNB Wes-Rand

He suggested that awareness campaigns should provide practical information about fatherhood and parental responsibilities, including the consequences of failing to raise a child and the avenues available to men who want access to their children. He also highlighted the experiences of men who grew up without their biological fathers, warning that unresolved experiences of abandonment could be repeated in the next generation.

For Masito, the conversation should not begin by asking what is wrong with men, but by understanding what happened to them and how they can be reached through education. Masito went on to explain the potential psychological consequences for boys who grow up without a father figure, describing the absence as something that can affect their sense of identity, emotional development and understanding of masculinity.

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He said boys often look to male figures as they begin forming their identities, observing and copying their behaviour as they learn how to understand themselves. He described this as identity pairing, where a boy mirrors the actions and mannerisms of an older male figure before developing a more independent sense of identity. This, he said, can make negative comments about a boy’s father particularly damaging. He said this was because a young boy had not yet fully separated his own identity from that of his father.

His remarks reinforced his broader message that addressing GBVF requires more than condemning violence after it has happened. It also requires society to engage men, understand the experiences that shape their behaviour and equip them with the knowledge and support to make different choices.

The activation brought together government, civil society and private-sector representatives for discussions and awareness initiatives aimed at tackling GBVF. It also included instructor-led gym sessions, with funds raised going towards GBVF initiatives.

Masito’s central message was that men must be part of changing the conditions that allow violence to continue, while boys must be supported from an early age to develop healthy identities, emotional awareness and positive understandings of masculinity.

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