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Promoting men's care and protection of children South Africa has unacceptably high levels of child abuse, including sexual abuse, much of which is perpetrated by men, and fathers are absent from a large number of families. Despite this very few programmes to protect children and build family and community life focus on, or include men. These factors prompted the development of an action research project to promote fatherhood – men's care and protection of children. There is a great deal of research evidence on the critical role that men in general, and fathers in particular, play in promoting children's development and adjustment. At the same time, findings from community interventions in the USA, for example, suggest that promoting the involvement of, especially young, fathers in their children's development may inhibit the development of antisocial behaviour in high-risk environments, and may promote positive values and civic engagement among men. As we begin to understand the importance of men's involvement with children, the concept of fatherhood is gaining increasing currency throughout the world. The Fatherhood Project is funded by Save the Children Sweden. Other local, national, and international partners and funders are being sought. Local government, private sector, non-governmental, community-based and faith-based organisations and groups have been identified in Cape Town, East London, Johannesburg, Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria, Thohoyandou and Upington. Partners are also being sought in Durban and Bloemfontein. Whilst it is evident that some of our country's most pressing social and human problems stem from family stresses and the absence of men from family life, the idea of fatherhood, as a symbol of men's benevolent and custodial role, nevertheless remains deeply entrenched in all South African communities. The idea of responsive, committed fatherhood needs to be re-invigorated and brought to the fore in our national life. The kinds of social impact we hope to achieve: - To provide public information about men, fathers, family life and children’s development.
- To generate public discourse by persuading government as well as non-governmental, community and faith-based organisations, and the popular and professional media, to focus their attention more on fatherhood and the need for men's care and protection of children.
- To prompt increased funding for the inclusion of men and fatherhood-related projects by national and international donors in the government, non-government and private sectors.
- To encourage organisations, donors and the government to include fatherhood-related activities in their programming.
- To stimulate research on the effects on men, children and families of increased male involvement in childcare.
We realise that through the limited resources that we have available, the Fatherhood Project is unlikely to have an immediate "quick-fix" effect on the attitudes and behaviour of the South African population. However, we believe that, over time, the project will have a massive and sustained impact. The idea of fatherhood and the aims of the project are something that the vast majority of South Africans support. Every individual and organisation we have spoken to has enthusiastically embraced the Fatherhood Project and what it stands for. Our aim is to generate a groundswell of public opinion that will put the issue of fatherhood firmly on the South African agenda.
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