Gender-based violence (GBV) has been dubbed a “national crisis” and a “second pandemic”, affecting one in three South African women in their lifetime. As a pervasive socioeconomic issue, GBV reflects ingrained power imbalances between men and women, countering any strides made in achieving gender equality since the start of our democracy in 1994.
As the world marks 16 Days of Activism Against GBV, I am appealing to all men in South Africa to become change agents to eradicate this illness from our society. While the focus of GBV often falls on women, who are predominantly victims, men have an active role to play in the fight against GBV.
As men, we can challenge harmful societal norms and promote respect and equality. By modelling healthy relationships and respectful behaviour, we can influence peers and younger generations to revoke violence and aggression.
According to the Shared Value Initiative, a global business advocacy and training group, 83% of surveyed employees felt GBV had a big effect on workplace productivity, and close to 80% of employee respondents felt GBV played a big role in a woman’s career progress or lack thereof. Within broader society, research highlights that financial dependency on an abusive partner can prevent victims of GBV from seeking support.
In the fight against GBV, there is a need to implement gender-transformative and economic empowerment interventions to improve the economic status and stability of women and their families, and enhance the overall livelihoods of both men and women. Male business leaders have an opportunity to promote initiatives that empower women to participate fully and safely in the workforce and provide support to employees and colleagues affected by GBV.
As men, we can challenge harmful societal norms and promote respect and equality
This action, however, can’t be just another workplace KPI. If we are to combat GBV, we need to implement a robust set of policies and procedures that clearly define what constitutes unacceptable behaviour, including all forms of GBV, and outline the consequences for those who engage in such conduct. If we fail to ensure that the workplace is a safe space for women, we fail as leaders, as co-workers and as a society.
This is why at Vodacom we are proud to be one of the first companies in South Africa to introduce a policy to support all employees who have experienced domestic violence or abuse, either inside or outside the workplace. As part of these measures, we allow employees to take up to 10 days of paid leave in any calendar year for medical appointments, legal proceedings and other activities concerning domestic violence.
Men also have a responsibility to be role models to future generations. The recently released First South African National GBV Study, conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council, confirmed that exposure to childhood trauma contributes to both the victimisation of women and the perpetration of violence by men later in life. Young boys who are bullied or are bullies are more likely to hold inequitable gender attitudes as adults. Furthermore, the research indicated that men who had high inequitable norms and attitudes about gender relations were more likely to be perpetrators of violence and sexual assault to partners in their lifetime.
To address early exposure to violence and break down gender stereotypes, Vodacom is working with the department of basic educationt to provide early interventions and support at schools for GBV, bullying and other forms of violence. By placing 25 psychosocial professionals in schools across South Africa, we are reaching more than 26,000 pupils across 42 schools. The goal is not only to prevent future acts of violence but also to create a society built on respect, safety and equality.
The 16 Days of Activism Against GBV campaign is an annual initiative that kicked off on November 25 — the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women — and runs until International Human Rights Day on December 10.
As sons, fathers, brothers, uncles, colleagues and friends, we have a responsibility to be agents of change among our peers, families, colleagues and communities. The time for mere outrage has passed; what we really need is action. It is our collective responsibility to rid society of this crisis. Are you man enough to do so?
• Mdlalose is CEO of Vodacom South Africa
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