The solution to toxic masculinity is healthy masculinity because no boy is born an abuser. This is the philosophy behind Craig Wilkinson’s ‘Father Of A Nation’, which is on a mission to end GBV both before it starts and right in its tracks:
Johannesburg, South Africa (26 November 2023) — Husbands who beat their partners and men who abandon and abuse, Craig Wilkinson has seen it all. However, he still believes that no boy is born an abuser. And, if we can heal and restore men, South Africa can stop destructive masculine behaviour (especially gender-based violence) before it starts as well as in its tracks.
Craig is the founder and CEO of Father A Nation, a non-profit company (NPC) that works to encourage positive masculinity in SA.
For 10 years, the NPC has been teaching and inspiring boys and men with positive, healthy masculinity mindsets and to stand against any form of abuse.
“Many men and women in SA grow up without the presence of a father or positive male figure. This often results in paternal wounds and destructive beliefs about masculinity, with young men looking to figures such as gangsters, abusers, or absent fathers as role models. This highlights the critical role of a positive male figure in shaping the minds of boys and men in the country,” shares Craig.
During 16 Days of Activism which kickstarted yesterday and runs until 10 December, Craig, —who is also a bestselling author and motivational speaker—and his team at Father A Nation will host hundreds of men at dynamic Gender-Based Violence (GBV) workshops in hotspots around Gauteng and the Western Cape.
The sessions will engage between 30 and 100 men at a time in open and honest conversation and provide training in positive, healthy masculinity.
“Our philosophy at Father A Nation is that if we can heal men, we can heal the world. We focus on working with men to become excellent fathers, mentors, role models and just good men. The solution to GBV is to stop it in its tracks, men are the primary perpetrators of physical and sexual GBV. While it’s critical to create awareness and support victims; ideally, we don’t want victims at all and the way to stop that happening is to stop wounded men from being abusive,” Craig explains.
He adds that GBV can be stopped in its tracks by teaching, inspiring and healing men so that in return.
“We work throughout SA with boys and men at schools, universities, in communities and organisations in both the public and private sector. We meet these men where they are at, from taverns to corporations and sports fields. Over 300 000 men have gone through our programmes over the past 10 years, either through soccer tournaments, tavern conversations, dialogues or workshops in communities and camps.”
The sessions always produce lively debate and rich, authentic personal stories of both struggle and triumph.
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“The engagements are highly effective in helping men to understand what GBV is, examine their own lives and provide them with the knowledge and motivation to turn their lives around. Healthy masculinity never abuses,” he adds.
Then there are the more intimate dialogues, where Craig often hears stories of how the organisation has helped change people for the better. Oftentimes, many do not fully conceptualise what it means to be an abuser until attending a session.
For Craig, providing men with a platform to share their struggles and motivation to be better men goes a long way towards helping them to be “a force for good”, and shifting the misconceptions about masculinity many men have grown up with.
You can visit www.fatheranation.co.za to find out more.
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