'South Africa needs dangerous men'

As South Africa grapples with a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) crisis five times worse than the global average, bestselling South African author and men's development expert Craig Wilkinson offers a controversial solution: we need more masculine power, not less. His challenge? Men must use their strength to become forces for good - stepping up as active participants in ending violence rather than remaining silent bystanders. 

Wilkinson's timely message comes as Women For Change calls for a national shutdown ahead of the G20 summit, while the country prepares to mark International Men's Day and 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. "South Africa needs men who use their strength to protect and uplift, not to harm or control," Wilkinson urges.

"Men are made to be dangerous - and the world is a safer place for it," he says. "But only when that danger is used for good. It's not masculinity that is toxic; it's the absence of true, positive, healthy masculinity that breeds the violence we see today."

It’s time men stood up: a pledge with government officials and law enforcement leaders

Speaking at the National Dialogue on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) and the launch of the Special Investigating Unit’s first GBVF Responder Programme - an event held in Pretoria and attended by the Chief Prosecuting Authority, government officials, senior law enforcement officers and various non-profit organisations - Wilkinson warned that the fight against gender-based violence will never be won if men remain silent, passive or disengaged.

“The opposite of masculinity is not femininity. Masculinity and femininity are complementary, equal, co-creating forces. The opposite of masculinity is passivity,” Wilkinson told delegates. “Men are made to be powerful, but that power is to be used in the service of others, to be a force for good and safety.”

During a powerful moment at the event, he called on every man in the room to stand, raise a fist and take a pledge - a symbolic act underscoring the responsibility men carry to rebuild trust and safety:

“I’m a man. My mandate is to break cycles of abuse. Today I pledge to never be silent, to always take action against abuse. I pledge to be an excellent father, partner, mentor, role model and citizen, a true man, an ally and an activist against any form of abuse.”

The crisis we’re not talking about: Broken men break societies

Wilkinson's message is rooted in the central theme of his new book, Force for Good: The Power of Healthy Masculinity, which argues that when men are disconnected from their purpose, unhealed from their past and uncertain of their role, they become part of the cycle of harm instead of its solution.

The book arrives at a defining moment, amid South Africa's deepening men's mental health crisis and widespread confusion about male identity. As societies wrestle with how to raise boys and foster honest conversations across gender divides, Force for Good offers a practical framework for what Wilkinson calls the Six Virtues of Positive Masculinity. Wilkinson writes that healing men is one of the most effective ways to heal society.

“No boy is born an abuser”. A recent national study by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) linked a crisis in men’s mental health in SA with elevated levels of GBV. "Awareness campaigns, policing and victim support are a critical part of the fight against GBV, but they won't solve the root cause of the problem."

“A man who has not been fathered, mentored, or taught to channel his strength becomes destructive rather than protective. Whole, healthy men do not harm others; they protect them,” said Wilkinson. “We cannot afford a generation of passive men. The fight against GBV depends on men who are willing to confront what is wrong, protect women and children and rebuild a moral foundation rooted in integrity, empathy and accountability.”

The choice every man must make: harm or heal

The rise of men who are a Force For Good is not only key to protecting women but also to restoring the moral core of society.

“When men understand that their role is to serve, not to control, they become agents of change. Every man has the capacity to choose - to use his strength to harm or to heal. The future of our nation depends on more men choosing to heal.”

Wilkinson's work as founder of Father A Nation (FAN) has reached over 400,000 men and their families through mentoring, education and leadership programmes. FAN's work spans schools, communities and workplaces, equipping men to understand identity, take responsibility and live with purpose - helping them unlearn harmful behaviours and rediscover empathy, courage and respect.

Force for Good is available at leading bookstores and online retailers nationwide.

ABOUT CRAIG WILKINSON

Craig Wilkinson is a bestselling author, speaker and social entrepreneur passionate about helping men live with integrity, strength and purpose. As the founder of non-profit organisation Father A Nation, he has dedicated his career to equipping men to be a positive force in their families and communities.