The Gauteng Department of e-Government hosted a Men’s Talk, put together by the GEYODI team, to talk about family and sexual violence. The talk was a safe space for men to think about their manhood, thoughts on violence against women, and how they feel inside. It aimed to make men feel better and support fairness between men and women.
During the talk, men got together to chat about the problems they face at work and home, focusing on how they feel emotionally, physically, socially, and spiritually. They talked a lot about “Men leading the way in making our communities better,” saying men should take charge and be good examples to stop violence against women. Everyone at the talk promised to act against hurting women and kids, taking a pledge called “NOT IN MY NAME.”
The talk also showed how growing up around violence affects how men see and treat women. It said that our culture and how we are brought up plays a big part in violence against women, especially among young men. The men agreed to teach and guide young boys to stop this kind of behaviour.
They also talked about how important men’s mental health is. Many men under 50 die by suicide, so the talk said men need to speak up about how they feel and not be ashamed to get help.
After all the talking, the men played a game of footgolf to relax. The day ended with the start of the department’s men’s group, made up of seven men who will work with the GEYODI team to deal with men’s worries and keep the campaign going strong.
