I heard someone in government say on radio that young boys don’t know how to regard women and grow up abusing women, whom they see as their inferiors. This was a rare comment acknowledging that many boys are brought up with poor attitudes to the women in their lives. Recognising one of the elephants in the room allows us to try to really tackle the scourge. Kenya has employed a programme from an American NGO in the slums of Nairobi to prevent sexual assault on girls and women. The aim is to change attitudes of adolescent boys about whether it is acceptable to assault or rape their female peers. There is no doubt in my mind, from experience in disciplining high school children, that the time to deal with male attitudes is in the early years of high school. The programme was implemented at 29 high schools. The majority of male pupils between 15 and 22 received six two-hour educational sessions. Topics included myths about women, negative gender stereotypes and what constitutes consent...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.