BROvember: Bringing communities together to provide safe spaces for men in crisis

The well-known international Movember campaign which spotlights health issues affecting men, was relaunched in South Africa last year as BROvember.

"Made in Mzansi", the movement is dedicated to changing the face - and future - of men’s health right here at home.

Its aim is to "bring together communities, brands, and brothers across our country" to tackle the leading causes of preventable death among men and address the social issues that fuel mental-health crises, men’s cancers and gender-based violence (GBV).

The stats Brovembershares point to a crisis in South Africa, which ranks among the highest male suicide rates in the world.

Four out of five suicides (around 80%) in our country are men, with on average 18 men dying by suicide every day, which equates to one every 80 minutes.

Factoring in the rise in diseases like prostate cancer and testicularcancer, over 80% of unnatural deaths among men are from preventable causes, says Brovember.

The challenge is to understand better why men struggle to seek help earlier and to make mental health services more man-friendly and accessible, said psychiatrist Dr Chris van den Berg.

"Research some years ago by Axe led to their definition of a 'manbox', those societal norms that men need to almost abide by to be seen as 'real men'... like being self-reliant and strong and not too expressive of emotions. Those things play a major role in why men struggle to seek help because it goes against the manbox idea."

Garron Gsell, the CEO of the Men's Foundation, highlighted the particular challenges faced in South Africa when it comes to men's mental health.

"It is a difficult environment - the cultural landscape that we're dealing with and traditional mindsets, taking from our past the post-traumatic stress from also the rapid urbanisation post-1994..."

Also feeding into this is South Africa's high unemployment rate, which contributes to men often feeling helpless.

"They don't feel like they're adding value, they don't have purpose; and that's also leading to this endemic of the high rate of suicide."

Among its initiatives, Brovember urges men to commit to exercise challenges.

These include the Recharge Walks which kicked off in Johannesburg, and are now being rolled out across the country.

100% of funds raised through Brovember for the Men's Foundation, remain in South Africa for investment into awareness and education, survivorship, research and advocacy programs.

Visit the website to find more information.

To listen to Garron Gsell and Dr Chris van den Berg in conversation with Saskia Falken on CapeTalk's Weekend Breakfast, click on the audio link below: