Cape Town - With the start of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence (GBV) on Monday, there has been a call for men to play a bigger role in fighting this scourge and encouraging their male friends to take a stand against women and child abuse.
Mr South Africa contestant, Anthony Walters believes that the fight against GBV starts with men changing the conversations they have when speaking about women.
“Many guys are afraid to speak out, even if they see one of their friends whistling and calling women vulgar names as they pass.
This is behaviour that cannot be tolerated, we should speak to our friends instead of simply laughing or playing along, as they humiliate women in this way,” he said.
“Personally, if I see a guy shouting or disrespecting any woman, I will go up to him and tell him that what he is doing is not right, it is important not to look away, even if you are reluctant to get involved when you see a couple fighting, you should not be afraid to report any incident of abuse that you see, whether verbal or physical, because you may just be saving a woman’s life by doing so,” said Walters.
Walters said that if guys see their friends speaking out when a woman is being abused, men speaking out will become more of a norm in society, as many guys tend to follow the example of their friends.
Similarly, Western Cape premier Alan Winde said, in a statement, that all men had a role to play in fighting GBV.
“As a man, I bear responsibility in our society, for the levels of violence against women and children. As a man, I also know that we are key to the solution,” he said.
City of Cape Town mayor Dan Plato urged parents to teach boys, from a young age, about treating women with care.
“I want to make a call to all parents in our communities - the role you play in raising a young man to be respectful to women cannot be understated, nobody can replace the role that you play,” he said.
@TheCapeArgus