Why positive male role models are key to shaping boys and preventing GBV in South Africa, Karen Singh / IOL, 2025

Abstract

This recent feature explores why positive male role models play a crucial role in shaping boys’ development and preventing gender-based violence in South Africa. Drawing on interviews with mentors, programme leaders and community voices, the article paints a vivid picture of how nurturing, emotionally present men can model alternative masculinities and interrupt cycles of harm. While father absence is widespread, with more than half of children not living with their biological fathers, the article highlights that absence alone does not predetermine negative outcomes. Many children are surrounded by other adult men — uncles, grandfathers, older brothers, stepfathers — who can offer stability and care, demonstrating that what truly matters is the quality of male involvement rather than biological connection.
The piece underscores that GBV risk is shaped by multiple intersecting factors: poverty, social inequality, unemployment, community stress, trauma, and harmful gender norms. Fatherlessness is therefore only one part of a much wider ecosystem. For real prevention, individual mentoring must be complemented by systemic interventions that address these broader pressures — including social protection, mental-health support, shifts in gender expectations, and stronger accountability structures. Yet, despite the complexity, the article maintains a hopeful tone. It shows how mentors, social fathers and community men who model empathy, responsibility and respect can significantly influence boys’ behaviour, helping them internalise healthier relational norms. By amplifying these stories, the article illustrates how nurturing male role models can reshape attitudes, reduce tolerance for violence, and create the conditions for a safer, more caring society.