In a cramped alley of a Johannesburg shantytown near Alexandra township, a circle of men gathers outside a tavern, beers in hand, to talk about something uncomfortable: their own role in violence against women. The meeting is organized by Father A Nation, a nonprofit that works with men and boys to promote what it calls “positive masculinity” as an antidote to South Africa’s epidemic of gender-based violence.
One participant, 30-year-old Kgomotso Mathekga, admits he once slapped his girlfriend during an argument. He says he now regrets it deeply, having lost contact with his child since the breakup. He and others in the group say a shortage of positive male role models in their community fuels cycles of abuse.
The gathering comes amid fresh outrage after the bodies of 12 women were found over three months in Ekurhuleni, a city near Johannesburg, reigniting national debate over femicide. South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates; between April and June alone, authorities recorded 5,427 homicides, including 569 women killed—an average of six per day—and more than 1,000 survivors of attempted murder. A 2022 study found that over a third of South African women have experienced physical or sexual violence, often at the hands of partners.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted his government hasn’t done enough, pledging better street lighting and a review of unsolved cases. But organizers like Father A Nation’s Craig Wilkinson argue real change starts with men confronting their own choices. “You choose what kind of man you want to be,” he tells the group. “Women need to be safe.”
Read the full BBC report for more on this grassroots effort.
Source: The South African men trying to end violence against women: 'Every man needs to play a part' (feeds.bbci.co.uk).
Image: Pretty Poo Eater from Los Angeles, USA.