Monna Tia To Redifine Role Of Men

Staff Writer | Monday May 20, 2019 12:42

 

The launch of the campaign, in collaboration with The European Union Delegation to Botswana, will take place on May 29, 2019 at the open space by Gaborone Hotel at the Bus Rank.

Former vice president, Dr Ponatshego Kedikilwe will double as an ambassador for this two year-long campaign.

MONNA TIA strives to re-define the role of men and encourage them to be part of the solution to ending GBV.

The goal of the campaign is to have a more conscious society on the destruction and negative impact inequality and violence has on our society. It also seeks to increase a dialogue on how the involvement of men is crucial to the achievement of a safe, just and more equitable society.

The Botswana GBV Indicators Research Report revealed that over two thirds of women in Botswana (67.3%) have experienced some form of gender-based-violence in their lifetime and a smaller proportion of men (44.4%) admit to perpetrating violence against women.

Most of the violence reported occurs within intimate partner relationships. About three in every five women (62.3%) experienced while about half of the men (47.7%) perpetrated intimate partner violence. It noted that 52.8% of men perpetrating violence against women are those aged 18-29 years and are amongst the working class.

Based on the understanding that men look up to other men as positive role models, the campaign will leverage on influential men to use their influence on other men to actively engage in ending GBV.

The campaign has engaged the Sir Ketumile Masire Foundation, to tap into the legacy left by the former president of Botswana of upholding integrity, giving back to the community and having a responsibility to mankind. The belief is that promoting the ideologies of a figure of such a calibre can change men to aspire to behaviour of that kind.

Speeches will be made, testimonies will be shared, the champions of the project will be revealed and as part of the programme they will perform the theme song.

The objective of the project launch is to secure support, encourage participation, share stakeholder roles and also inform the public about the objectives of the project.

Men and Boys for Gender Equality (MBGE) is a registered non-governmental organisation, founded in October 2013 and duly registered with the Registrar of Societies. The organisation focuses on gender transformative interventions with both men and boys to take