PEER educators urged to be role models

PEER educators have been urged to impact equality characters on boys in their communities in a bid to end gender based violence.

These remarks were made by Talent Moyo, Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Linkages project officer under the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

Speaking during a peer educators workshop at Inyathi youth centre in Bulawayo’s Mpopoma suburb, Moyo decried patriarchal effects and moral degradation amongst boys in communities.

“We realise that we still living in patriarchal society where its acceptable for man to exhibit some dominant behavior such as physical abusing their wives and engaging into polygamous marriages which are necessary not good to them and as a result dispose them to difficult situations and even diseases. Such behaviour also promote gender based violence,” said Moyo.

She said the project started in 2016 and aims at equiping every boy growing up with the rightful information at the right time.

“The linkages project is meant to have a lot of young boys aged 10-29 going for circumcision in a bid to reduce chances of contacting STIs and HIV by up to 60%,” Moyo said.

Ziphongezipho Ndebele a facilitator from Padare/Enkundleni Men’ s forum, said peer educators should be able to transform boys in their communities to be men of equality.

“Boys should be taught that real man do not abuse women and young girls as this will help fight against gender based violence,” said Ndebele.

Munyaradzi Nhengo, a facilitator from the same organisation added: “Peer educators should know their target audience and prepare to engage with young boys into different topics.

“We expect peer educators to interact with boys so that we see a change in the way they behave. We hope to hear reduction in drug and alcohol abuse,” said Nhengo.

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