A PEER SUPPORT PROGRAMME FOR MEN
HeCareZA was established in 2020 as an online support group via WhatsApp and Facebook, aimed at providing South African men with a platform to both seek and offer advice on relationships, mental health, and other significant issues. Born out of the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change—a non-profit organisation dedicated to combating harmful digital content through social listening, research, and data analytics—HeCareZA leverages impactful, research-backed content to foster healthy discussions on social media, creating a safer online environment to help break the cycle of violence. The initiative emerged in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, addressing the surge in gender-based violence and its profound impact on mental health and relationships during lockdown conditions.
EMPOWERING MEN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Since its inception, the HeCareZA programme has continuously evolved to meet the needs of its community as gender-based violence remains a human rights crisis in South Africa. This support network leverages social media listening and critical dialogue to challenge and transform narratives of gender discrimination and violence on a large scale. Our mission is to dissect and counteract the narratives fuelling gender inequality and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in South Africa. By actively recruiting male allies, we engage in critical dialogue and social mobilisation to dismantle harmful narratives and behaviours. We have created skill kit videos to equip these on-side men with the tools to listen, give advice, and have courageous conversations with violent men, aiming to break the cycle of violence and end the hatred of women by challenging gender norms and stereotypes.
PERSONAL GROWTH FOR MEN
At HeCareZA, we especially encourage fathers to break the cycle of violence, promoting better parenting practices and supportive partnerships in relationships. Our goal is to erode social and cultural acceptance of violence and end the spread of discriminatory norms, creating a meaningful positive shift in societal attitudes. We know that it’s possible to create and entrench a culture of respect and equality and speak out against violence and discrimination towards women.
“The movement intends to foster robust dialogue around positive masculinity, responsible fatherhood and understanding gender equality, to reduce gender-based violence in South Africa.”
As an online support network, we reach far and wide, engaging both urban and rural communities across South Africa. To make our impact even greater, we produce relevant and thought-provoking digital content in multiple languages, including standard and colloquial English, isiXhosa, isiZulu, seSotho, and Afrikaans. This ensures everyone feels included and can benefit from the insights and advice.
In 2024, we expanded our reach even further: we engaged our audience on community radio broadcasts and added new online platforms like TikTok and even more WhatsApp Groups together with our sectoral engagement partners. Our sectoral engagement involves on-the-ground workshops where we partner with community organisations and local leaders, particularly involving male allies and fathers to discuss issues of digital literacy and gender-based violence with youth and young adults from local soccer clubs.
HOW DIALOGUING EMPOWERS INDIVIDUALS TO ACT AS CHANGE AGENTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES
In the HeCareZA space, dialogue facilitation plays a crucial role in driving meaningful change. Our approach empowers male allies, seen as trusted peers, with essential dialogue tools to address and transform violent behaviours through empathetic conversations. By engaging in these dialogues, allies can influence offenders’ views on gender stereotypes and equality, ultimately shifting attitudes and fostering a culture of respect, calmness, and equality.
We create both branded and unbranded content to amplify our message, mobilise digital activists, and recruit supportive men to our cause. Our dedicated team manages all HeCareZA social platforms, analysing insights, updating keywords, and refining our dialogue strategies and monitoring and evaluation processes. We also focus on onboarding, training, and mentoring interns, while leading and managing teams of digital activists.
Additionally, we host webinars and Dialogue Jams—interactive online sessions designed for community engagement and in-depth discussions. These events include light-hearted conversations and practical experience with our dialogue facilitation methods, involving third-party participants to enrich the dialogue process and enhance practical skills.