16 Apr 2020

 Leader of the Serowe-based group, Man Out, Ms Ntebogang Dintwa, says while aware of Gender Based Violence (GBV) incidents against men since the social distancing period, it is disturbing that none has been reported.

In an interview, Ms Dintwa said it was their desire for men to report any form of abuse during the COVID-19 extreme social distancing period to ensure that they were afforded protection.

 She added that failure to report would prolong the problem.

She said the youth-led group was a non-profit organisation that relied on donations, and that due to the extreme social distancing period; their hands were tied to assist victims.

Ms Dintwa said Man Out was against GBV and focused on men who were reluctant to report any violence against them.

She said men were reluctant to report domestic violence against them hence there were no or few statistics.

She added that it made abuse against men a serious threat.

Ms Dintwa said although women had been portrayed as the only victims of domestic violence, such was not the case.

She said since the extreme social distancing period GBV cases had increased due to various reasons such as lack of tolerance.

She said being confined could result in couples quarrelling over food and chores unlike on normal days where people spent time away from home.

Ms Dintwa also said they had observed that men suffered verbal abuse more than women, adding that some women had a tendency of insulting or degrading their partners.

She noted that some women prevented their partners from going to work, visiting family members or friends, and even controlled their finances.

 She said such issues needed to be addressed. Ends