The Department of Social Development, in partnership with the men’s sector and the South African National Aids Council (SANAC), will on Monday host the inaugural National Men’s Parliament in response to the scourge of gender-based violence in the country.
The Men’s Parliament is set to take place in Parliament and will be held under the theme “Institutionalising a Responsive Men’s Movement”.
The sitting is being launched on a day which has been commemorated as International Men’s Day since 1992.
The National Men’s Parliament became an evident priority following the launch of the Men Championing Change campaign during the Men’s Summit held in KwaZulu-Natal in August 2018. The campaign and the summit aimed to gather men and the youth to discuss plans to eradicate gender-based violence.
The summit initiated dialogues between men and young boys from all the nine provinces who form part of organisations and Non-Profit Organisations that seek to make a difference in their communities, by leading by an example.
This was followed by separate provincial meetings and dialogues between men and young boys which resulted in a Boys’ Assembly held last month in Gauteng, where the boys discussed issues affecting them and their communities.
During the National Men’s Parliament, provincial representatives will give feedback on the resolutions from their respective Provincial Men’s Parliament sittings which have been ongoing since October 2018. – SAnews.gov.za
