MASERU – Men suffer different kinds of abuse from their female counterparts, particularly emotional abuse hence the need to break the silence, Mr. Kopano Tsílonyane has said.
Mr. Tsílonyane who is a member of Lesotho National Federation of Organisations of the Disabled (LNFOD) and a visually impaired person shared these sentiments when talking to the Agency on Monday, encouraging men despite their disabilities to break the silence and act on abuse.
He explained that men, especially African ones, have always been trained to suppress their emotions and never come out to show their weaknesses yet behind closed doors, they grieve and crumble.
“Out there, men including those with disabilities are deprived of confidence, they are left empty and alone through belittling and manipulation abuse they experience through their female counterparts.”
Therefore, he appealed to men to take platforms and use opportunities such as the 16 Days of Activism against GBV and beyond to talk about what they go through and seek help rather than resort to suicide while also end up with mental illnesses.
Suicide is reported to have claimed an estimated 727 000 lives in 2021 as according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), with men and young people across countries being on the forefront, thus only 12 percent suicide reduction is likely to be achieved by 2030.
In the same note, the Founder and President of Man Up Lesotho, a local association for men, Mr. Mpho Mahula said they created this platform, where men in spite of their disability status meet and discuss issues including those of abuse facing them so that together they seek solutions.
The President has strongly challenged men and boys to come out in the closet, advising them to step up and tackle the root causes of gender inequalities, dismantle all structures including cultural norms and beliefs that continue to make the world unequal for them. . . .
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