Some of mzansi’s best sportsmen have come together to use their voices to influence other males to acknowledge their role in acting against gender-based violence.
They engaged in an online discussion on the 19th of August to create awareness. The session focused on the behaviours men need to develop and accept in order to have an impact on the way women are being treated in society today.
The sportsmen support the 1000 Women Trust,which collaborated with Pick n Pay to communicate issues of gender-based violence through a three-part webinar series this Women’s Month.
Former Springboks winger Bryan Habana said: “I am of the opinion that we as men are the problem. We need to be the solution including young boys and older gentlemen. If we are not going to play our part as men, the problem of gender-based violence will get worse.”
Habana said men needed to acknowledge that there are a male culture and toxic masculinity at the root of the gender-based violence problem.“Gender-based violence is not spoken about enough among sportspeople. When these sports groups are given a platform, it has a more individualistic type of approach which means that there will be certain sponsorship regulations that will need to be adhered to,” he said.
Cape Town City Striker, Kermit Erasmus said: “We need to speak about the topic of gender-based violence in local communities and be accountable.”Erasmus said it was about showing respect and appreciating the things that have been given (by a woman) and that there was no superiority between the sexes.
Former Proteas captain, AB de Villiers said: “We need to show and teach our sons today how to be good men, how to treat their mothers, sisters, aunties and teachers and most importantly, how to respect themselves in order to respect the women in their lives.”
