Safe space for issues created for local men
The purpose of the event was to mainly create a platform where men can freely discuss issues relating to them and their health as well as exploring the challenges.
To kick off the Youth Day week, Funda UJabule school educational psychologists hosted their first men’s forum communion on Monday, June 12 in Pimville.
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The purpose of the event was to mainly create a platform where men can freely discuss issues relating to them and their health as well as exploring the challenges of being a male in the era of complex gender identities.
Dr Daphney Mawila an educational psychologist at UJ said, “Today marks the beginning of a men’s forum. A platform we have formulated to allow men to discuss issues they struggle to talk about in the outside world.”
Men in the contemporary society have lost their voice more than their identity. Boy children are running on empty due to lack of programmes that are made to raise and grow them into being the best versions of themselves.
According to Prof Maximus Sefotho, in the fight against historical patriarchy and thriving for equality, the world is stuck on idolising one ideology which in the process is adding on to the imbalances of gender.
“The ideology I see in the world is the promotion of the female more than the male.
“We are not balancing the scales because we are trying to correct the wrongs of the past, and I fear we are making more mistakes,” Prof Sefotho explained.
There are multitudes of reasons why men are not visiting the doctor as often as they should. Some of these issues include the fear of getting bad news, or the general hope that health issues will just resolve themselves.
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“Men tend to seek help at a later stage because of the stereotypical cultural norms. Which is why today we have a high rate of men dying and being out lived by women,” said Dr Tiyiselani Mkhawana, a medical doctor at Protea Glen healthcare.
“We are trying to promote preventative care and educate men on the importance of enquiring about their health and taking medical advises.”
The men’s forum is initially created for every man residing in Soweto and aims to raise young men into becoming better fathers for their communities.
