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Gender-based violence (GBV) has emotional consequences for both its survivors and for the perpetrators. When Granny Matebalo Thabana’s son disappeared without a word, leaving his family of five behind she, her daughter-in-law and the children were left devastated. Granny Matebalo and her daughter-in-law were numbed, while the children felt abandoned and unworthy of love and affection.

Extreme Violence Is A Result Of Toxic Masculinity

By Alvine Kapitako

Windhoek

Society conditions men to bottle up their emotions instead of expressing themselves in a healthy way, explained Delene van Dyk – a psychosexual educator from South Africa – during a three-day workshop aimed at preventing the stigma and discrimination experienced by key populations under the Key Populations Representation, Evidence and Advocacy for Change in Health (KP REACH) regional programme, in which SAfAIDS is the technical lead.

From YPISA Champion To Child MP – Martha Chivanga

Martha Chivanga, from Ngundu High School in Chivi District, started out as a Young People’s Information Service Advocacy (YPISA) champion and eventually emerged as child MP for Chivi District. The knowledge and skills she gained on sexual and reproductive health issues from the YPISA training have given her the confidence to eagerly grab opportunities as they arise. Now, as a child MP she is able to represent her peers at both national level  and in her school.

 

1 September 2017 – Malawian journalist Alick Ponje received the inaugural Southern Africa Media Award in Social Accountability Reporting during the Telkom-Highway Africa Awards Gala Dinner held yesterday evening at the 21^st annual Highway Africa conference, the world’s largest gathering of African journalists, at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa.

Concerned mothers from Harare’s Mabvuku suburb approached SAfAIDS staff during the Harare Agricultural Show seeking advice on curbing risky sexual behaviours among adolescents in their community. They reported that nude parties have become a regular occurrence in the area and they fear for their children’s health and welfare.

The recently held Harare Agricultural show witnessed SAfAIDS showcasing some of its men’s programmes as a way of reaching more men with its interventions. Through one of the SAfAIDS programmes Men as partners/Women as partners (WasP/MasP) programme which addresses harmful cultural practices that perpetuate the abuse of women and girls, men were engaged on the role they should play in ending any form of violence against women and girls

The old adage ‘give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’, aptly sums up Nyarai Kaliati’s life. A mother of three, Nyarai used to rely on her husband for her family’s upkeep. Patriarchy taught her to submit to her husband and she  expected him to provide everything for the family. But Nyarai had never really accepted that situation and often argued with her husband, as she wanted him to account for every cent he earned. This did not go down well with him.

By Moses Magadza

Women Members of Parliament from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) attending a two day conference organised by SADC PF and other partners in Mahé, Seychelles from 5 to 6 July 2017, have made strong recommendations for greater parliamentary involvement in the ratification and domestication of relevant international and continental instruments relating to women, girls, HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights.

Self-stigma has an impact on a person’s ability to live positively, it also affects adherence to treatment and access to health services. Makhumalo Chakela, a 57-year-old woman who lives in n Matebeleng Ha Ralebona, in Leribe District found it very difficult to disclose her HIV status to her relatives. After her husband’s death, she discovered she was HIV positive but taking medication was a farfetched idea as she was still grieving.

The economic decline in Zimbabwe between 2008 and 2009 escalated the unemployment rates which resulted in people like Peter Kufahakutizwi from Mafararikwa Village to resort to cross border trading. It was his only way to escape from poverty and support his family as he felt it was safer for him to indulge in such business than his wife. Getting in contact with high risk sexual networks within the cross border business calls for men who are strong and well responsible, and Peter almost found himself trapped between pleasure and family responsibilities. The 2013 gender perspective to multiple sexual partners indicated relatively high-risk behaviour on the part of male respondents than females, with only nine percent of women having two or more sexual partners compared to 19 percent of men, hence Peter was at risk too.