The SANAC Men’s Sector led yet another successful biennial National Men’s Parliament at the national legislature in Cape Town between 21 and 22 November 2022.
Continuously held under the banner of ‘Takuwani Riime – Institutionalising a Responsive Men’s Movement’, the parliament brings together men and boys from across the country as well as multisectoral stakeholders leading programmes or initiatives targeting the said subjects. The parliament provides a platform to discuss social challenges such as toxic masculinity, patriarchy, the socialization of the boy child, gender-based violence, gender inequality, harmful cultural norms, safe spaces for men and the need to synergise programmes targeting young women and girls with those of young men and boys.
Addressing the two-day sitting in the National Council of Provinces (NCoP) Chambers, SANAC CEO Dr. Thembisile Xulu said SANAC has developed a framework for Adolescent Boys and Young Men (ABYM) for the control and prevention of HIV, TB and STIs. “Through this work, we hope to mould men and boys who are empowered, healthy, resilient and are agents of change in our communities across the length and breadth of this country,” said Dr. Xulu.
In her Opening Remarks, the Deputy Chairperson of the NCoP, Hon. Sylvia Lucas, said the country’s efforts towards ending gender-based violence and femicide cannot be won without the proper involvement of men. She also expressed concern about harmful cultural norms that contribute to GBVF. “GBVF has been acutely normalised through tradition and customs that perpetuate patriarchy,” said Hon. Lucas.
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, echoed the sentiments by Hon. Lucas. “We are witnesses to an unprecedented surge of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). A harrowing picture is painted by the police statistics. In the second quarter of 2022, 875 women were murdered, and there were 13 000 reported cases of domestic abuse and 9 500 cases of rape. This is an indictment on the moral standing of our nation and a departure from ubuntu,” said Dlamini-Zuma.