By Enyinna Omoke, Abakaliki.
The Women Aid Collective (WACOL) has challenged male secondary school students in Ebonyi State to reject toxic masculinity, embrace positive masculine values and promote respect, consent and accountability as critical measures for preventing gender-based violence (GBV).
The organisation said boys and young men have a crucial role to play in dismantling harmful gender stereotypes, fostering healthy relationships and building a society where the rights and dignity of every individual are respected.
A facilitator with WACOL's School-Based Peer Education and Healthy Relationships Programme, Mr Njoku Joshua Emenike, gave the charge during an educational session at Holy Ghost Secondary School, Abakaliki, where he spoke on the theme, "Masculinity, Respect, Consent and the Role of Boys in Promoting Healthy Relationships and Preventing Violence."
Emenike defined gender-based violence as any harmful act directed against an individual based on socially ascribed gender roles, power imbalances or discrimination.
He identified physical, sexual and psychological violence, harmful traditional practices and online or digital abuse as major forms of GBV, warning that their consequences could extend beyond immediate physical injuries to serious mental health challenges, social exclusion and economic hardship for survivors.
Although women and girls are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence, he noted that men, boys and other marginalised groups could also become victims.
The facilitator described positive masculinity as the development of strengths, ethical values and behaviours among boys and men that promote their personal well-being and contribute positively to their communities.
He identified emotional openness, gender equality, mutual respect, shared responsibilities, accountability, integrity and constructive expressions of strength as the fundamental principles of positive masculinity.
According to him, genuine masculinity should not be measured by aggression, domination or the suppression of emotions but by the ability to demonstrate self-control, empathy, responsibility and respect for others.
On the importance of respect, Emenike explained that it involved recognising the dignity, rights, boundaries and personal choices of others, stressing that boys must understand the distinction between self-respect and respect for other people.
He said self-respect required individuals to recognise their worth, establish healthy boundaries and protect their physical and mental well-being, while respecting others meant refraining from actions that violated their rights, privacy, wishes or legitimate boundaries.
Emenike further emphasised that boys and men should not be regarded as inevitable contributors to gender-based violence, describing them instead as indispensable allies and agents of change in efforts to prevent abuse and promote gender equality.
He urged the students to challenge toxic gender stereotypes, reject sexist language, resist negative peer pressure and demonstrate leadership by intervening appropriately whenever they witnessed behaviour that could lead to violence.
The facilitator also charged them to build healthy relationships founded on mutual respect, consent, shared responsibilities and open communication.
He called on the students to support survivors of gender-based violence, hold their peers accountable for abusive conduct and serve as positive role models to younger children.
Another facilitator, Mr Okah Ogbonna Innocent, explained that masculinity referred to the social expectations and ideas surrounding how boys and men were expected to think, feel and behave.
He stressed that there was no single acceptable way of being a boy, encouraging the students to develop identities grounded in respect, empathy, honesty, courage and self-control.
According to him, positive masculinity should be demonstrated through respect for others, emotional courage, personal responsibility, fairness, self-discipline and empathy.
He explained that the programme was not designed to blame boys but to empower them with the knowledge and confidence to recognise gender-based violence, resist harmful peer influence and become effective peer educators within their schools and communities.
The programme featured male students drawn from selected secondary schools, including Urban Model Secondary School, St Theresa Secondary School, Holy Ghost Secondary School and Assemblies of God Secondary School, all in Ebonyi State.
Activities included group discussions, pre-test and post-evaluation exercises, question-and-answer sessions, entertainment and the introduction of the 30 Days Boys for Change Challenge.
The initiative also featured plans for the formation of school-based support clubs to sustain peer education, encourage positive behavioural change and strengthen efforts to prevent gender-based violence within the school environment.
The programme forms part of broader efforts to engage boys and young men as active participants in promoting gender equality, respect for human rights and violence-free relationships.
