The UWC community gathered in the Library Auditorium for Learning to Heal: Men, Education, and the Practice of Self-Development, engaging in critical reflection on masculinity, education and healing. Picture supplied

The conversation opened without easy answers, and that was precisely the point. In a packed Library Auditorium, speakers invited the UWC community to sit with discomfort, to listen deeply, and to rethink how society speaks about boys, men, education and healing. At the University of the Western Cape (UWC), the public conversation, Learning to Heal: Men, Education, and the Practice of Self-Development, offered a reflective space to interrogate masculinity, inequality and responsibility in a society shaped by historical and contemporary trauma.

The event forms part of the broader intervention to reduce and eliminate the gender disparities in student success, and is supported by the Siyaphumelela initiative, funded by the Kesge Foundation. The “Don’t hesitate, Participate!” campaign is informed by emerging evidence that highlights uneven progression and engagement among male students. The study seeks to understand how institutional cultures, support systems and student experiences shape success at UWC.

Opening the event, Prof Matete Madiba, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Development and Support, framed the discussion as a necessary intervention rather than a symbolic gesture. She reminded the audience that universities carry both intellectual and ethical obligations when confronting social crises.

“We cannot afford to treat the struggles of boys and men as marginal or uncomfortable topics,” she said. “If education is truly about human development, then healing, accountability and reflection must be central to our work.”

Delivering the keynote address, author and social commentator, Dr Mzamo Masito, author of This Country Hates Our (Men) Boys, challenged narrow and adversarial narratives around gender. He argued that conversations about men should not be framed in opposition to women’s struggles, warning against zero-sum thinking.

Author Dr Mzamo Masito poses with his book This Country Hates Our Boys/Men during the public conversation hosted by UWC. Picture supplied

“Society has taught us to believe that caring about boys somehow weakens the fight for women,” Masito said. “That is a false choice, and it prevents us from addressing the real drivers of violence and despair.”

Drawing on research and lived experience, Masito pointed to inequality as a central factor shaping male disaffection. He highlighted that regions with the highest levels of inequality, rather than absolute poverty, often experience the highest levels of violent crime.

“When people grow up constantly surrounded by what they cannot access,” he explained, “humiliation becomes normal, and aggression becomes a language of survival.”

Masito also spoke candidly about men’s mental health, noting that suicide rates among men remain significantly higher. He argued that emotional suppression, unemployment and unrealistic expectations of masculinity contribute to feelings of worthlessness.

“We raise boys to believe they are only valuable when they are providers,” he said. “When the system denies them that role, many do not know who they are anymore.”

Education, he stressed, remains a critical intervention point, even as its promises are often overstated.

“Education does not guarantee wealth,” Masito said, “but it still dramatically reduces vulnerability to poverty. To tell boys that learning doesn’t matter is one of the most damaging lies we can pass on.”

Prof Madiba returned to the theme of institutional responsibility, emphasising that universities must engage the whole person, especially if we are talking about both student and institutional success.

Author Dr Mzamo Masito poses with his book This Country Hates Our Boys/Men during the public conversation hosted by UWC. Picture supplied

“Healing is not a soft add-on to education,” she noted. “It is foundational. Without it, learning becomes transactional and disconnected from the realities our students live with.”

The lead researcher on the project, Dr Trevor Makhetha from the Sociology Department, in his remarks, stated that “this, and future such engagements, are intentional spaces created for honest dialogue, but it must also translate into action… [we thus]… encourage male students to actively make use of academic advising, mentoring, counselling and other learning support services available on campus - these are not signs of weakness, but tools for growth, resilience and success”

The discussion concluded with a call for sustained engagement rather than once-off conversations.

“‘Don’t hesitate, participate!’ is more than a slogan; it is an invitation to reimagine what it means to belong, to learn, and to succeed at university. The realities facing many of our male students are not about ability, but about disconnection, silence and unmet support. Participation is how we interrupt this. It is how students find voice, build community and take ownership of their educational journey. But participation is also a collective responsibility. As a university, we must create spaces that recognise students’ lived realities and actively draw them in. If we are serious about student success, then we must move from access to meaningful engagement,” Dr Makhetha said.