Confronting “toxic masculinity” to protect women and girls

In homes where love and safety should reign, too many women and girls are instead met with fear, control, and violence.

- by SP Mensah, Mafikeng High School

The brutal reality is that the very people who should be protectors - fathers, uncles, brothers, and partners - often become perpetrators. This crisis, rooted in toxic masculinity, is not only a women's issue - it is a societal emergency that demands urgent attention from every citizen, especially men.

Toxic masculinity refers to harmful cultural norms that associate manhood with dominance, emotional suppression, aggression, and entitlement over others - especially women.

Boys are often taught from a young age that to be “a real man” means never showing vulnerability, always being in control, and using power to assert masculinity. When these ideas go unchallenged, they create a culture in which abuse, violence, and emotional manipulation become tools to maintain that power.