Social Development on South African men to end gender-based violence

A pledge for South African men to end gender-based violence

As a man I commit always to:

1. Treat all women as equals.
2. Treat a woman as a person, not as an object or possession.
3. Support women as best I can and actively play my part to challenge rape culture and stop any forms of prejudice, abuse or violence against women.
4. Call out other men for their inappropriate behaviour or inappropriate comments towards women.
5. Respect a woman as I would expect to be respected as a man because respect, equality, and the human rights of all South Africans are non-negotiable.
6. Being a role model in teaching boys in my family and my community that expressing their emotions is not a sign of weakness, that violence is not a way to resolve conflict and that women must be treated with respect.
7. Treat other women how I would like my mother, sister, or daughter to be treated.
8. Advocate for the safety and well-being of children and actively work against all forms of abuse and violence.
9. Call out and correct inappropriate behaviour towards children by adults and peers.

As a man, I commit never to:

1. Raise my hand against a woman.
2. Intimidate, threaten, or demean any woman, whether it be physically, verbally, emotionally or sexually, or allow any other person to do so.
3. Perpetuate stereotypes about women or assume anything about a woman from what she is wearing.
4. Make a woman feel violated by my gaze, my words or my actions or make her uncomfortable due to my presence.
5. Make physical and/or sexual contact with a woman without her explicit permission or force her into something she doesn't want to do.
6. Condone or remain silent about gender-based violence.
7. Walk away from my responsibilities as a father, if I have children.
8. Use my position at home, in the workplace and in other social spaces to undermine women's human rights and dignity.
9. Make a child feel unsafe or uncomfortable with my presence, words, or actions.
10. Engage in any inappropriate contact with a child or disregard their boundaries.

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Pledger