I believe this kind of training is exactly what this province needs, especially in this era where violence against women and children is on the rise. Violence against women and children stem from the historic and cultural legacy of patriarchy whereby men are socialised into believing they are superior to and have rights over women. Male violence is intentional, albeit not always conscious, behaviour that men use to maintain power over and to control women in intimate relationships is learned, and therefore it can be unlearned. It is now recognised that many of the problems affecting the Western Cape and South African society, including dysfunctional family life and violent crime, have as one of their principal causes the fact that boys and men no longer (as used to be the case in many traditional societies) receive the mentorship and parenting necessary to function in a powerful yet caring, compassionate and responsible manner.
There is no doubt that involving men in efforts towards gender equality has the potential to greatly enhance the impact. The training touched on some important issues that most gender activists are battling with when it comes to involving men in the struggle against gender inequality. Some of these issues are highlighted in most literatures that I have read. For the purpose of this paper I will only highlight two issues.
Firstly, it the issue of the resistance of many men to different forms of involvement in gender equality debates, policies and activities; This Resistance to involvement comes from a wide variety of reasons/stereotypes: patriarchal practices, sexism, maintenance of power, definition of gender equality as "women's issue", and most of the time gender meetings end up being a male bashing sessions. These are some of the issues that create resistance from men. We need to find a way of working in partnership with each other without creating 'them and us' situation were men and women organisations work in isolation.
Secondly, the responsibilities of men in taking part in the promotion of gender equality; Responsibilities of men for involvement in gender equality range across social and economic arenas and issues: religion, work, family and home, sexuality, violence, education, health (HIV/AIDS), sport, organisations and management. Most men feel like they don't have a role to play in the stuggle. This training sort of opened a world of possibilities for men to get involved. It encouraged men to be champions of gender equality and to make a difference where they are.
Building a world of gender justice will bring benefits to both women and men, and the reconstruction of gender will require our shared commitment and involvement. That is why it is crucial that we make this kind of training available to men in our communities, businesses, in sports, churches, and in both urban and rural areas of our province. Being a development officer and the programme manager of the Men's Programme for the Department of Social Services and Poverty Alleviation I made sure that I take the training forward. The department of Social Services and Poverty Alleviation is now piloting this training in three areas in the Western Cape, i.e. Cape Town (Metro), Atlantis and Beaufort West.
