Economic hardship and unequal power dynamics leave young Namibian men vulnerable to financial exploitation, while societal expectations prevent them from seeking help.
This is according to University of Namibia senior sociology lecturer Ellison Tjirera.
Meanwhile, mental health advocate Elago Nantana says no statistics on the 'blesser' phenomenon involving young men are available, since society expects them to be strong and self-reliant, and they therefore do not speak out.
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Tjirera says some older women, often referred to as 'sugar mummies', use their financial status to prey on young men struggling to meet their basic needs.
He says the issue is fundamentally about power rather than gender, adding that wealthy men often target young men to satisfy their desires. "Economic realities make them vulnerable . . . Perhaps they would be in a position to recognise it's wrong, but I don't think they are in a position to resist because the circumstances are terrible," Tjirera says. He says rent, tuition fees and living expenses often push young men into these traps. "The key issue is power and how it is unequally distributed among societies. Imagine having all these qualifications, but . . . the network you find yourself in determines whether or not you will get a job," Tjirera says.
"We live in a very materialistic society where we want things but do not want to work for them," he says.
Tjirera says discussions about boys have gained dominance, with some arguing that efforts to advance gender equality have unintentionally left young men feeling disempowered.
Nantana says the issue should not be treated as the failure of poor, young men, but rather as a predictable outcome of economic design.
He says young men are not considered victims, especially when money, status or survival is involved, and feel marginalised as they believe the response to gender-based violence is built around women and girls only.
"The barrier is brutal in its simplicity. A man who says I was used is confessing to something Namibian culture doesn't have a category for. We have a script for female victimhood," he says.
Nantana says Namibia can improve its awareness and mental health services by making protective shelters available to all genders, saying male survivors often cannot access a place of shelter.
4x4 Boys Initiative founder Sidney Boois calls for sustained male engagement programmes, improved counselling, anonymous reporting systems, and public education on constitutional rights to ensure influential perpetrators are held accountable.
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