Empower Men To Confront Peers on GBV

SOMETIMES men behave according to where they came from, to what they have experienced in life, and to what they have been taught.

Due to those reasons, some men turn out to be kind, loving and caring, but some become more abusive. Therefore, it is our responsibility to educate our men who are abusive to stop gender-based violence.

It is a well-known fact that both men and women can be victims of violence, but violence against women, often at the hands of men, is a category of violence that relies on the historical and current unequal balance of power between men and women, boys and girls. Violence against women is the crucial element that reinforces men’s power and control over women throughout Namibia.

As a nation which is aiming to end gender-based violence, we need to advocate more youth violence prevention programmes.

These programmes will educate men how to control their anger and how to love women, instead of hurting them. Men can also be coached to make a decision of becoming active by speaking up and calling for help when necessary through these programmes.

Another fact is that we must educate men on how it feels to be seen as a potential abuser; and about whether they know someone who’s been abused. Learn about how relationship abuse touches the lives of men, and what we can do to stop it. Furthermore, we must mentor and teach young boys about how to be men in ways that don’t involve degrading or abusing girls and women.

It is a perfect way to approach gender-based violence as a man’s issue involving men of all ages and socio-economic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. We need to view men not only as perpetrators or possible offenders, but as empowered players who can confront abusive peers.

All in all, if we educate men about gender-based violence, we will save the lives of women..

Johannes Hangula

First-year education student at The International University of Management, Ongwediva campus

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