Fathers Matter national working group calls for men to be protectors, allies and agents of change

For years, the burden of this struggle has fallen unfairly on the shoulders of women and survivors of abuse, but the tide is slowly turning. Today, more men, communities and organisations are recognising that positive and present fathers and social fathers matter and are important when it comes to preventing gender-based violence (GBV).

This year marks 20 years of Heartlines serving alongside Faith Action to End GBV and We Will Speak Out South Africa, whose work began in 2000. Heartlines facilitator Seth Naicker, who joined the Faith Action collective in 2020, reflects on this journey. “It has been a great help to draw on faith-based and community-based organisations to help deliver workshops and learning sessions such as ‘The Power of Story to End GBV’ and ‘Fathers Matter to End GBV.’”

Seth adds, “We now have a national working group called Fathers Matter to end GBVHF, which is dedicated to ending gender-based violence, harassment and femicide, by mobilising men as allies, protectors and positive influences within their families and communities.” He emphasises that “this is not just another campaign, but a long-term movement dedicated to shaping what healthy masculinity can and should look like.”

From Lenasia to Ennerdale, Eldorado Park to Orange Farm and Soweto to Observatory, Seth says he has witnessed the impact of this work in community dialogues, faith gatherings and leadership conferences. “We have mobilised this work by creating containers of safety and courage that help us engage respectfully and honestly, while encouraging transparency. We draw on a values-based approach that highlights empathy, understanding, building relationships, and strengthening community.” 

He adds that “these efforts aim to mobilise the positive, active presence of men and fathers in transforming masculinity, and to encourage the establishment of accountability, support and ‘fierce urgency’ groups that help men reform, transform, heal and move toward more positive masculinities and practices.”

As we observe 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, Seth says that the new national working group will “call upon men who have embraced gender equality, and understand their role in speaking out for the well-being of children, to speak out against domestic, intimate partner and gender-based violence.”