What About The Boys? advocates for a future with good boys and men

What About The Boys? presented its three-year impact report on the State of the Boy Child, highlighting the future of South Africa’s boys and young men.

Held at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on June 12, the initiative aims to cultivate a generation of emotionally intelligent, respectful and responsible men.

Primestars CEO and leader of What About The Boys? programme Martin Sweet delivered a compelling address, emphasising the importance of addressing the silent struggles faced by boys.

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“South Africa’s alarming gender-based violence statistics remind us that change must start at the grassroots, particularly with boys.

“For too long, the global gender conversation has focused, rightly, on the empowerment of girls and women. But the time has come to also focus on the development of boys, many of whom are silently struggling,” Sweet said.

Sweet highlighted that boys often grappled with academic setbacks, mental health issues, and societal expectations that discouraged emotional expression.

“Boys today are falling behind at school, are more likely to drop out, achieve lower grades, develop addictions, engage in reckless behaviour, and struggle with mental health. They are diagnosed more often with attention deficit disorder, are more prone to suicide than girls, and are involved in more violent incidents.

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“We teach boys that showing emotion is weakness, that they must man up, leading to mistrust, violence, and dangerous stereotypes.”

Sweet shared remarkable progress made through targeted education, noting a significant reduction in harmful beliefs after participation in the programme, such as the belief that violence against women was acceptable or that men could control women’s bodies.

“Intentional, targeted education works.” He announced new strategic partnerships, including one with Empowaworx, to embed the initiative into school curricula, expand mentorship networks, and launch impactful campaigns on issues such as teen pregnancy and bullying.

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The Deputy Minister of Social Development Ebrahim Hendricks provided a sobering perspective on youth unemployment and economic challenges. “While grants like the Child Support Grant and Basic Income Grant support millions, they are not enough,” he said.

Hendricks emphasised that youth unemployment in South Africa was approaching 50%, a crisis that threatened social stability and future growth. “We are working towards creating sustainable livelihoods for young men, but much more must be done.”

He also highlighted the country’s efforts to streamline support programmes, such as moving the application process for university bursaries online and advocating for a universal income grant. However, he stressed that empowering young men was essential for long-term progress and social cohesion.

“Our boys are tomorrow’s fathers, leaders, and citizens. Investing in them now means building a better South Africa for generations to come.”

A poignant moment at the event was the speech by Talana Mabitsela, a young man and participant in the initiative. Talana, whose parents are divorced, shared a heartfelt story about the importance of paternal involvement.

“We are teenagers, we have certain problems that need fathers or parents… And my advice to you parents would be, please, I know it can be hard sometimes, because we stay in our rooms scrolling on our TVs.

“You may not be prepared to talk to us, but a little bit of effort will surely give great results.”

Talana credited the programme’s focus on emotional intelligence and support with helping him seek help and build resilience.

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