Discipline of Public Health Medicine, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Cancer & Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit (CIDERU), College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
BMC Public Health. 2022 Nov 30;22(1):2235. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-14616-5.
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a crucial global public health challenge disenfranchising women and girls from enjoying their fundamental human rights, thereby threatening their well-being. While the concept of GBV does not imply that violence is always unidirectional, literature shows that women and girls are the most common victims of this type of violence. One in three women, globally, have suffered physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or non-partner. Evidence has shown that a number of women who experience GBV varies widely, with 37% being in Eastern Mediterranean, 37.7% in South-East Asia, 29.8% in America, 36.6% in Africa, 44% in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and 53% in South Africa.
Using a semi-structured face-to-face interview with fifteen conveniently sampled adult males, who met the selection criteria, this study explored men's conceptualisation of GBV in Alexandra Township, using qualitative research methods.
Socio-economic factors and evolving cultural dynamics were perceived to be among the key factors aggravating gender-based violence. Participants viewed poverty and substance abuse as the main causes of violence towards women, a phenomenon tied to the growing frustration emanating from men's inability to provide for their families. Cultural factors related to the patriarchal system and diminishing value of respect between men and women were identified as root causes of GBV. The participants also blamed the government for what they considered to be "too many rights" for women, resulting in men exerting their authority through abuse. Participants also expressed concerns over feminisation of GBV, asserting that men fall prey to GBV too. Partner infidelity and insecurities also contributed to GBV.
The study results provided important insights on how men conceptualize GBV in Alexandra Township, South Africa. These results revealed that socio-economic conditions, alongside some gender stereotypes are pervasive and shape how men view GBV in Alexandra Township. This evidence is necessary for developing interventions aimed at curbing GBV and may also be suggestive of the need to redesign programmes targeting men, so that certain stereotypes can be uprooted.
性别暴力（GBV）是一个至关重要的全球公共卫生挑战，剥夺了妇女和女孩享受基本人权的机会，从而威胁到她们的福祉。尽管性别暴力的概念并不意味着暴力总是单向的，但文献表明，妇女和女孩是这种暴力的最常见受害者。全球每三个妇女中就有一个遭受过亲密伴侣或非伴侣的身体或性暴力。有证据表明，经历过性别暴力的妇女人数差异很大，其中 37%在东地中海地区，37.7%在东南亚，29.8%在美洲，36.6%在非洲，44%在撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA），53%在南非。
本研究采用半结构式面对面访谈的方式，对 15 名符合选择标准的成年男性进行了访谈，探讨了亚历山德拉镇男性对性别暴力的概念化。使用定性研究方法。
社会经济因素和不断变化的文化动态被认为是加剧性别暴力的关键因素之一。参与者认为贫困和药物滥用是暴力侵害妇女的主要原因，这种现象与男性无法养家糊口所带来的日益沮丧感有关。与父权制和男女之间尊重价值下降有关的文化因素被认为是性别暴力的根源。参与者还指责政府赋予妇女“太多权利”，导致男性通过虐待来行使自己的权威。参与者还对性别暴力的女性化表示担忧，声称男性也成为性别暴力的受害者。伴侣不忠和不安全感也导致了性别暴力。
研究结果提供了关于南非亚历山德拉镇男性如何概念化性别暴力的重要见解。这些结果表明，社会经济条件以及一些性别刻板印象普遍存在，并影响着男性对亚历山德拉镇性别暴力的看法。这些证据对于制定旨在遏制性别暴力的干预措施非常重要，也可能表明需要重新设计针对男性的方案，以消除某些刻板印象。
