DEPUTY PRESIDENT MASHATILE TO LEAD THE BIENNAL MEN’S PARLIAMENT AND DISSEMINATION OF BETTER MEN 4 TOMORROW CAMPAIGN

By

GSMN Correspondent

Deputy President Paul Mashatile will tomorrow, Saturday, 07 December 2024, lead the biennal Men’s Parliament and Dissemination of Better Men 4 Tomorrow Campaign in Cape Town, Western Cape Province.

The Deputy President will attend and deliver a keynote address during day two of the biennial Men’s Parliament & Dissemination of Better Men 4 Tomorrow Campaign, taking place at Parow Municipal Chambers in Cape Town.

The Men’s Sector of the South African National AIDS Council – Civil Society Forum (SANAC CSF), in partnership with the National Men’s Forum South Africa, SAfAIDS, and various
stakeholders working with men and boys, is hosting the biennial National Men’s Parliament from 6 to 7 December 2024.

The Deputy President, as the Chairperson of SANAC, launched the Dissemination of Better Men 4 Tomorrow Campaign during the commemoration of World AIDS Day on 01 December 2024 in the Eastern Cape.

The Campaign forms part of the Men’s Sector contribution towards the country’s efforts in finding and linking 1.1 million men who are not on HIV treatment. With bold targets aligned with HIV prevention and the promotion of health-seeking behaviour, the Campaign is also aimed at mobilising men to be champions of change against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.

The National Men’s Movement operates on a decentralised model, which includes annual provincial meetings, biannual district gatherings, quarterly local municipality sessions, and monthly community and traditional councils’ men’s parliaments.

These activities are designed to develop context-specific local implementation plans, which draw from many lessons learned from previous Men’s Sector engagements.

The biennial sitting of the Men’s Parliament is therefore a platform for Men’s Sector structures to account, to reflect and to consider priorities for the next two years until the next national sitting in 2026.

Deputy President Mashatile will be supported by the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi; Deputy Minister of Social Development Mr Ganief Hendricks; Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Ms Steve Letsike, development partners such as UNAIDS and CDC, as well as Traditional Leaders.