In the aftermath of President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address (SoNA), a non-profit company (NPC) working to encourage positive masculinity, Father A Nation, highlights that while strides have been made in combatting gender-based violence (GBV), a glaring deficiency in the 2024 SoNA was the lack of focus on prevention.

“President Ramaphosa’s acknowledgment of the need for men in South Africa to pledge their commitment to ending GBV is commendable, as is the establishment of the Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Response Fund1. However, a fundamental shift is imperative, and SA must prioritise addressing the root causes of GBV, particularly focusing on boys and men before they become perpetrators” says Craig Wilkinson, founder and CEO, Father A Nation.

Aligned with the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP-GBVF), Father A Nation advocates for a concerted effort on prevention over cure. Don’t just treat the symptoms, deal with the cause. What help is erecting a “Hijack Hotspot” or “Beware Potholes” sign when we should be dealing with the criminal or fixing potholes and crippling infrastructure?

“While most physical and sexual abuse is perpetrated by men; no boy is born an abuser. Something is going very wrong in the journey from boy to man. Father A Nation believes in teaching healthy masculinity and building a nation of men who value and respect women. This will stop GBV in its tracks” says Wilkinson, advocating that men need to be healed, fathered, mentored, and held accountable for their actions.

“As a nation, we need to drastically improve the way we raise men, this will take intentionality, resources, political will and a great deal of change in the way we do things,” says Wilkinson. He reinforces that the goal of any GBV programme must be that of no victims and the most important strategy for achieving this goal, is to focus on raising good men.

“SA is known as the rape capital of the world, last year over 43,000 cases of rape were reported in the country, this is only the top of the iceberg, estimate highlight that only 1 in 9 incidents of rape are ultimately reported”, he adds.

Father A Nation has been teaching and inspiring boys and men for over thirteen years to live with positive, healthy masculinity, standing against any form of abuse. The NPC boasts over 300 000 men completing their programmes and learning what it takes to be good men, fathers, mentors, and role models.

“We call on the nation at large to prioritise prevention efforts and invest in nurturing a generation of men who will champion respect, dignity, and equality. Who will use their strength only for good!” Wilkinson concludes.

To find out more, or contribute to the impact Father A Nation is making, please visit https://www.fatheranation.co.za/ 

-- ENDS --

ABOUT FATHER A NATION

Father A Nation (FAN) is a Non-Profit Company that addresses gender-based violence, crime, and fatherlessness by restoring and equipping men to be nation-builders, fathers, and role models. We teach men to use their strength to love, serve, protect, and provide and to be activists against any form of abuse.

We believe that there is no greater nation building imperative for our nation than the restoration of men. Our mission is to raise the next generation of men to build a safe and prosperous South Africa.