Each May, male allies in the movement to end gender-based violence mark Mother’s Day as an important time to pause and reflect in honour of the role of mothers in their lives. While any measure that has men stop and consider the impact and harm of violence or abuse, or misogyny is good, not all women who experience male violence are mothers. So, if a woman is not a mother, what entitles her to safety from gender-based violence? More than a pause or reflection, this Mother’s Day as male allies, lets make a personal commitment to an action to look at our own behaviours and attitudes, and be active where we can to address and end gender-based violence in honour of a mother/grandmother/auntie or other female caregiving figure in our lives.
Authored by: Shawn Chisholm, MentorAction – Steering Committee Member