Fostering gender equality means engaging everyone in the fight for change—including boys and men. We work to empower them with knowledge to uphold the rights of women and girls by challenging cultural norms about gender roles and actively addressing the pervasive culture of gender-based violence (GBV).

Challenge cultural norms:

Deeply-rooted gender norms often perpetuate a culture of inequality.

Gender-based violence is a major issue in the country with 86% of women and girls reporting experiencing it at some point in their lives. However, it is more than likely this percentage is much higher as many women and girls do not report the abuse for fear of the repercussions for speaking out or being shunned by their communities. For many women who have not had the opportunity to access education on women’s rights, abuse is often considered a sign of love, sadly. 

In Lesotho, men are often regarded as the head of the household, bearing the heavy burden of providing for their families amidst an extremely high unemployment rate. The stress of not being able to feed or clothe their family leads many to express their frustrations and worries through harmful actions, to either themselves or their loved ones. 

For this reason, focussing on strategies for healthy communication is essential. In doing so, we offer boys and men a safe space to express themselves with words rather than harmful actions.

Learn to be champions of women’s rights and stop GBV:

Through intensive, targeted programming, we empower boys and men to become allies in the fight for gender equality, promoting respect and support for women’s rights in their homes and communities.

Programming addresses the common signs of GBV. For many, because of cultural norms and a lack of education, harmful actions can be seen as commonly acceptable, particularly within the confines of a home. We aim to help boys and men understand how some of their behaviours can be harmful, and how they can be champions of women’s rights and uphold the laws for protecting women and girls.

However, understanding that certain behaviours are harmful or unhealthy isn’t always enough to inspire change. Helping boys and men to see the benefits to themselves when families and communities experience gender-equity can be truly transformative. Our approach enables participants to understand that when families and communities experience gender-equity, everyone thrives.

Foster healthier relationships:

Educating boys and men about gender equality creates a foundation for healthier, more respectful relationships that benefit families and communities. 

Through specifically tailored programming and community outreach, we equip boys and men with the knowledge and tools to promote respect, nurture inclusivity and build healthier relationships. Help Lesotho’s programming targets the root causes of GBV and includes modules on how to manage anger. 

For the boys and young men in our programs (Guys4Good being the youngest program), having the foundation to build healthier relationships with their families and peers is of vital importance to the way they will carry themselves in the future and how they will act with their own families.

Become role models:

Through our training we aim to equip boys and men with the tools to lead with empathy and equality, thereby inspiring the next generation to value and uphold these principles. When you are a role-model for positive change, you inspire others through your daily actions. We help our program participants understand that they can be leaders in their everyday life and should practice positive leadership in any setting, noting that leaders come in many shapes and forms. They can be community leaders and politicians at the highest level, but leadership is also found in everyday life—within a family, school and community.

By empowering boys and men to become champions of women’s rights, we’re fostering a society where every individual has the opportunity to succeed. With each person who embraces respect and equality, we are shaping a Lesotho where gender equality is not just a goal but a way of life.

Each year, 100 young girls from ages 12-15 are invited to participate in our Pearl Program. During monthly training days, over the course of a year, these young girls are given the opportunity to learn life skills to help them succeed in high school. Topics include resilience-building, effective communication, developing healthy relationships, protecting oneself against HIV/AIDS, and the favourite—boosting self-esteem. In November and December the two program groups celebrated their graduations, honouring how far they’ve come. For many of the girls who were at first weary or nervous about high school, they are now excited and feel ready to tackle this new adventure and the challenges that come with it.

Both celebrations consisted of presentations, performances and team-building activities. Participants expressed over and over how happy they were to have been a part of the Pearl Program. Meet some of the program graduates below!

Khathatso, 13

Khathatso has blossomed into a confident young leader through the Pearl Program. 

Lerato, 14

Lerato is proof that big things come in small packages. Known for her enthusiasm, she’s always the first to raise her hand during Pearl Program sessions, encouraging other girls to participate too.

Self-esteem was her favourite module, and it shows in the way she inspires her peers. “I’ll be a good leader by being a good person. I’ll stand up against bad people,” she says.

As she prepares to start at Katisa High School, Lerato is excited to continue setting a positive example and standing up for what’s right.