The female students contend that their male counterparts are an important stakeholder in dealing with cultural norms and values which encourage violence against women and girls.
Speaking during an event hosted by the Female Students Network Trust (FSNT) to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence in Harare on November 27, 2020, Tanatswa Zimani, a student from the University of Zimbabwe emphasised the need of male to male engagement against GBV.
“Men have the power to convince other men to end the behaviour of beating women because men on their own they tell each other the truth. The ego of some men will not allow them to listen to whatever women say so if we could have more men being champions of gender equality, we can achieve our goal”, said Zimani.
This was also supported by the FSNT Board Chairperson, Sibongile Gwanzura who called for educative programmes aimed at educating the perpetrators of domestic violence on the dangers of violence against women.
In 2014, the UN Women launched the HeForShe campaign aimed at inviting men to support initiatives by women in their quest for gender equality.
Feminist organisations have since adopted this idea and have started implementing it in their various programmes.
Post published in: Featured