Dialogue - Men and Boys involvement in protecting and supporting children and women

As part of commemorating the 16 days of activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign, The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund facilitated an Intergenerational Dialogue which took place on the 10th of December 2019 at the Fund’s offices. The focus of the dialogue was to engage men and boys and how they can play a role in protecting children and women.
​
Attendees included amongst others the Bafana-Bafana national coach Mr. Molefi Ntseki, Under 17 boys coach, Mr. Vela Khumalo, the Acting High Commissioner of Canada to South Africa Ms. Pamela Moore, civil society and our partners. Young men and women attending the event pledged their commitment to protecting women and children through various initiatives they are (and will be) implementing in their local communities. 

Young Urban Men from Afrika-Tikkun, which is one of the organisations supported by the Fund, believe in changing the way society treats its children and women, one of the young men in the programme was quoted saying, "Men are trash, but we believe trash can be recycled and renewed.”

The Fund’s CEO, Ms. Sibongile Mkhabela stated that; “Women are not the only victims when it comes to Gender Based Violence, but that good men are victims as well because vicious men have the audacity to attack both good men and women with the same brutality.”
“The conversation about Gender Based Violence should not be about men versus women. It should rather be about how good men and women can work together to reconstruct societal values, and hold government accountable on its constitutional obligations” – Ms. Mkhabela concluded.

In her address, the Acting Canadian High Commissioner, Ms. Pamela Moore said that, “Gender Based Violence is a worldwide problem. Canada is no exception, particularly in indigenous communities. When people make disparaging remarks about women, speak out and warn them about dangers of such comments."
​
The success of protecting and ensuring safety of women and girls rests upon our continued, daily, individual and collective actions to safeguard our society against this cycle of abuse.