23 Nov 2020

Head of gender affairs department in Serowe, Ms Peoyame Tladi, says this year’s International Men’s Day came at the right time when the world is grappling with social ills exacerbated by COVID 19.

She said this during a one-day workshop on Friday. 

Ms Tladi said the country commemorated the day  to introspect and interrogate men’s role especially in the era where gender based violence cases had spiraled out of control. 

She stated that in many ways, the pandemic might have exacerbated pre-existing health, gender and other social inequalities such as increasing levels of violence within the home. 

Ms Tladi further stated that they witnessed an increase in gender based violence cases in Botswana and elsewhere buttressing that indeed GBV was a hidden pandemic.

She said as such there was need to engage men on their masculinity in an endeavour to bring positive transformative change. The head said this year’s theme, Promoting a positive conversation about men, manhood and masculinity was befitting as it heralds an opportunity to engage men holistically.

She stated that international men’s day is not opposite of international women’s day nor a platform to intensify anti-women or anti-gender equality sentiments. 

Ms Tladi added that it was not a day to cement male privilege and it was not a day where man can finally do what they wish just because it was their day.

She said the theme heralds an opportunity to engage men in all their diversity to leverage on their masculinity in an endeavor to bring positive transformative change.

The speaker however said International Men’s Day was first commemorated in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago.  Ends