Why Gender Equality Requires Us to Invest in Boys and Young Men
Written by:Naledi Selebano and Frank Malata
South Africa has made significant progress in advancing the rights and opportunities of women and girls since the advent of democracy. Initiatives such as Take a Girl Child to Work Day have played an important role in exposing girls to professional environments, challenging gender stereotypes, and inspiring future generations of female leaders. These efforts remain critical in a society where women continue to experience disproportionate levels of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), economic exclusion, unequal pay, and underrepresentation in positions of power.
However, a critical question remains: what are we doing to engage boys and young men? This is not a call to replace programmes aimed at empowering girls, nor is it an attempt to suggest that boys and young men are more disadvantaged than girls and women. Rather, it is a call to recognise that meaningful gender transformation requires investment in children and young people of all genders.
Across South Africa, many boys and young men are struggling. Educational data consistently show concerning patterns of school disengagement, poor academic performance, and dropout among males. At the same time, youth unemployment remains one of the country’s most pressing challenges, leaving many young men disconnected from education, training, and meaningful economic opportunities. For far too many, particularly those growing up in impoverished communities, the pathways to success appear increasingly narrow.
The consequences extend far beyond individual outcomes. When boys and young men are excluded from opportunities, society often pays the price through increased rates of crime, substance abuse, violence, gang involvement, and social instability. While these outcomes cannot be attributed solely to gender, they are often linked to how boys are socialised and to the limited opportunities available to them.
The country’s ongoing crisis of gender-based violence should compel us to take this issue seriously. South Africa’s response to GBVF has rightly focused on supporting survivors and strengthening accountability for perpetrators. Yet prevention remains one of the weakest pillars of our response. If we are serious about ending violence against women and girls, we must begin much earlier by addressing the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours that shape boys’ understanding of manhood.
Research on masculinities has demonstrated that many boys are socialised into restrictive and harmful notions of masculinity that reward dominance, emotional suppression, aggression, and control. These norms not only place women and girls at risk but also harm boys and young men themselves. They are often taught that vulnerability is weakness, that seeking help is shameful, and that power is demonstrated through control rather than empathy. Such messages contribute to poor mental health outcomes, interpersonal violence, and destructive forms of behaviour.
This is where empowerment initiatives for boys and young men, similar to Take a Girl Child to Work Day, become both relevant and necessary. A well-designed initiative would do far more than provide workplace exposure. It would also create opportunities for participants to interact with positive role models, experience professional environments, and develop alternative visions of what it means to be a man. They would be exposed to workplaces where respect, accountability, collaboration, and diversity are valued. Such experiences can challenge stereotypes, broaden aspirations, and foster a greater sense of purpose and belonging.
Importantly, the initiative should not be limited to exposing participants to traditionally masculine occupations. Boys and young men should meet male teachers, social workers, psychologists, nurses, researchers, gender activists, artists, and community leaders. They should learn that masculinity is not defined by dominance or economic power, but by integrity, responsibility, empathy, and respect for others.
This intervention is particularly important in communities affected by gangs and violence. Many gangs provide young men with something they desperately seek: identity, belonging, recognition, and status. If society does not offer positive alternatives, harmful influences will continue to fill that vacuum. Workplace exposure programmes can provide a different narrative, one that demonstrates that success can be achieved through education, hard work, ethical leadership, and social contribution rather than through violence and criminality.
Importantly, supporting boys and young men should never come at the expense of girls and women. Instead, it must be understood as part of a broader strategy to create a society in which everyone can thrive free from discrimination, violence, and limiting gender stereotypes.
The reality is that boys and girls are not competitors in the struggle for equality; their futures are interconnected. The empowerment of girls depends, in part, on raising boys who respect women’s rights and reject violence. Similarly, the wellbeing of boys and young men depends on dismantling gender norms that restrict emotional expression, reinforce harmful behaviours, and perpetuate inequality.