Johannesburg - Young men and boys have pleaded with President Cyril Ramaphosa to help end the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) and protect them against discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation.
The young men from across Gauteng schools addressed Ramaphosa on a range of issues affecting them as young people as well as their fellow female counterparts.
They were speaking during a Presidential Young Men and Boys Indaba held at Maponya Mall in Soweto yesterday.
“As openly gay young men, we face discrimination, and we are not protected as the LGBTQI in our communities and in our schools,” one of the young men told Ramaphosa.
During his address, which responded directly to some of the questions raised, the president urged those gathered and across the country to respect and protect their female counterparts and put an end to toxic masculinity, which continued to contribute to a rise in domestic abuse and GBV.
Aimed at stemming the tide against gender-based violence and femicide, the dialogue was attended by the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and (Gauteng Education) MEC Matome Chiloane, among others.
The event was also held alongside the “What About the Boys” GBV prevention initiative aimed at raising and promoting the grooming of good men and young leaders to help reverse the effects of toxic masculinity and other social ills affecting young men and boys in the country.
Ramaphosa urged young men to be responsible partners to their mothers, sisters and fellow young women.
“We must be models and responsible citizens to our mothers, sisters and girl children.
“We must view women as equal partners in their respective spaces in society.
“We must reach out to our young boys among those who are not here with us today, and this must be done across the country where we fill big stadiums in order to raise awareness,” Ramaphosa said.
“Boys must not be left behind; as parents, we also need to pay more attention to boys and young men. We must change the societal approach and take them on a journey that will free them from toxic masculinity and the scourge of GBV.
“Young men face a lot of pressure, as society has taught them to be real men who do not fear anything, and they have become vulnerable to being recruited into gangs and a life of substance abuse and are made to be men before their time,” the president said.
Motshekga said the country must create safe spaces for young women and boys who are facing challenges at police stations, clinics and other public and government facilities.
The minister said it was important to engage young people, who are facing a myriad of challenges in their daily lives.
“We need to be on the same wavelength with our young men and girls. We must not be out of touch, we must understand where they are, and we must ensure that we have youthfriendly clinics. There seems to be a generation gap between ourselves and our young people. We should not assume, but make time to talk to our children,” Motshekga said.
Lesufi said Gauteng continued to equip young boys with skills through the rolling out of schools of specialisation that have been launched in the past few months.
“Mr President, we have brought to you young men that are ready to be guided and sharpened. These are young men we have identified as the future leaders of our country. These are young men that have said we will do good and are committed to shaping the future of our country and ensuring that we deliver a South Africa that we can all be proud of,” Lesufi said.
The Star