ambitious goal, but with your help, we did it. ‘What About The Boys?’ – a campaign to address GBV, reinforce positive masculinity, and raise a nation of good men who rise up and fight GBV – has benefitted from a R1.5million boost thanks to Markham shoppers who believe in South Africa’s boys and young men.

The campaign’s sweatshirts and T-shirts are a symbol of support, but also a way for their wearers to directly contribute to its success. Released in multiple drops of fresh designs, every T-shirt or sweatshirt sold contributed R50 (per T-shirt) or R100 (per sweatshirt) to ‘What About The Boys?’ – funding educational film screenings, mentorship programmes, and the #DoBetter pledge for young South African men.

The success of the campaign demonstrates the power of collective action – and, even more encouragingly, that there’s an army of South Africans ready to oppose violence and commit to action for a safer, more empathetic future for boys and communities.

Get your ‘What About The Boys?’ T-shirt or sweatshirt today to make your contribution and join the movement against GBV – the latest editions are ready to shop at Bash.com and in Markham stores.

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Over R1 million Raised—And Counting!

We are thrilled to announce that, through the incredible generosity of our customers, over R1 million has already been raised in donations. This milestone is a testament to the power of collective action in driving change. Each T-shirt and sweatshirt purchased represents not just a fashion choice but a commitment to building a safer, more empathetic future for boys and their communities.

New T-Shirts to Support the Cause

To continue building on this momentum, we’ve expanded our collection with brand-new T-shirts available in stores and online. These T-shirts not only symbolise your support for this cause but also directly contribute to its success. For every T-shirt sold, R50 is donated to ‘What About The Boys?’, helping fund educational film screenings, mentorship programs, and the #DoBetter pledge for young men across South Africa.

The post What About The Boys? Over R1 Million Raised and New T-Shirts Now Available! appeared first on Markham Blog.

Written by: Lynette Botha

In a world where gender-based violence (GBV) continues to plague societies, initiatives like ‘What About The Boys?’ are essential in addressing the root causes of this pressing issue. As a leading men’s fashion retailer, we recognise the urgency of the situation and have joined hands with ‘What About The Boys?’ to make a significant impact. This collaboration aims not only to raise funds but also to promote a positive shift in masculinity and challenge harmful stereotypes.

So, what is ‘What About The Boys?’

‘What About The Boys?’ is a national movement with a mission to combat gender-based violence by focusing on helping boys redefine masculinity and dismantling societal stereotypes. The initiative recognises that the fight against GBV must begin at an early age to create lasting change. To achieve this, ‘What About The Boys?’ empowers boys with the following principles:

1. Sharing emotions in a healthy way
   Encouraging boys to express their feelings openly and constructively, challenging the notion that “boys don’t cry.”
2. Standing up to bullying and inequality
   Instilling a sense of responsibility in boys to confront bullying and inequality, fostering a culture of respect and empathy.
3. Accepting and connecting with others
   Promoting inclusivity and acceptance of diverse backgrounds, reinforcing the importance of treating everyone with kindness and respect.
4. Breaking free from stereotypes
   Addressing toxic stereotypes that perpetuate harmful ideas such as ‘Women are weak’ or ‘Don’t be like a gay man,’ promoting individuality and authenticity.

To drive home these values, ‘What About The Boys?’ conducts national screenings of an educational film aimed at raising awareness about GBV. These screenings target Grade 8-12 learners across South Africa, where the conversation about gender stereotypes and emotional development is critical. Following each screening, ongoing mentorship dialogues challenge gender stereotypes, providing boys with the tools to grow into responsible, empathetic young men. Each boy also commits to a #DoBetter pledge, a personal commitment to be a part of the solution.

The post The What About The Boys? x Markham Initiative appeared first on Markham Blog.

Written by: Robert Sam-Kputu

Intro:

It’s almost time to bid farewell to 2024, a challenging year for many. As we recover from the toll of Covid and deal with all the other catastrophic events of a world in flux, things can sometimes feel overwhelming. This is why prioritising your mental health is key!

In South Africa, as in many parts of the world, there still seems to exist a stigma around discussing mental health, particularly among men. Society often imposes expectations on men to be strong, resilient, and unemotional, which can lead to an unwillingness to seek help when you’re struggling emotionally – which can have devastating consequences.

The post How to take care of your mental wellbeing appeared first on Markham Blog.

Written by: Lynette Botha

In a world where gender-based violence (GBV) continues to plague societies, initiatives like ‘What About The Boys?’ are essential in addressing the root causes of this pressing issue. As a leading men’s fashion retailer, we recognise the urgency of the situation and have joined hands with ‘What About The Boys?’ to make a significant impact. This collaboration aims not only to raise funds but also to promote a positive shift in masculinity and challenge harmful stereotypes.

The post Introducing our ‘What About The Boys?’ initiative appeared first on Markham Blog.

Mental health is complex, and that’s why we need to talk about it. Let’s eliminate stigma and work together in building communities that enable mental health support to those around us.

Written by Ncumisa Kunana; Images by Shubnam Shama, Dan Meyers, Brain Lundquist, Tyler Nix, Derek Anies and Anaya Katlego via Unsplash.

It’s 2021, yet conversations around depression and mental health still aren’t happening  among young men in South Africa. This has its roots in many social fallacies ranging from, ‘men aren’t supposed to show emotions’, ‘mental health is a white man’s disease’ to ‘uthakathiwe’ – meaning ‘you have been bewitched’. We live in a society where our elders shun mental health. The onus is then on us, the youth, to eliminate the stigma and work together in building friendships and communities that allow positive conversations that offer help and support to those around us. With the complexities of depression and mental health we elicited the help of NGO, The Bravado Movement, and psychologist, Walter Bradley, to provide us with a guideline on how to start positive conversations and create safe spaces.

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