By Nandipha Twani
Gender-based violence and problems in the community took centre stage at a dialogue organized by local facilitator Simo Mawawa Ndyoko in his bid to root out underlying causes and raise awareness of consequences of GBV, and in his attempt to develop solutions.
The participatory and interactive discussion aimed to direct people’s attention on a variety of issues and challenges while encouraging them to share their views on the current state of gender-based violence in the community while brain-storming ideas on what should be done about it.
Ndyoko said there are many gaps among men and having a safe space to identify these gaps is critical.
“Men need their own space to discuss their problems. A place where they can share and learn from others who may share in their experiences. I believe that talking about your problems helps a lot mentally and emotionally,” he said.
“Keeping things inside can break you. When I organize this event, I always have a challenge of men not attending, and when others do attend, they are afraid to talk about what they are going through. These dialogues are meant to help men change and be educated about how they should treat, respect, and value others,” said Ndyoko.
Statistics of gender-based violence have increased in South Africa over recent years, with Joza township being the highest within the Sarah Baartman District.
“Everyday people are abused, physically, psychologically, sexually and emotionally and in most cases, the biggest perpetrators are men. They need to attend these dialogues so that we can find the root cause of why they result in GBV and find solutions to it,” he said.
Men from 18 years and above were invited to the dialogue, and among those who joined the dialogue were the Department of Social Development and Families and Marriages South Africa also known as Famsa, which offers their services for free to the community.
Mziyanda Bulani said, “GBV happens because one person chooses to exercise power and control over another person, and young men should be kind and respectful.”
Another attendee, Zuko Ngqandavana said, “Young men should be instilled with respect, dignity, kindness, and values of men,” he said.
Upon the conclusion of the dialogue all the men who attended received a certificate, acknowledging their participation in the discussion of gender based violence.
“Young men respect life so that life itself can respect you,” said Ngqandavana, another participant of the dialogue.
