This Women’s Month, Heartlines – the social change organisation behind the Fathers Matter campaign – is flipping the script on a common misconception: that a focus on fathers somehow sidelines the role of women.
Through a new video, Fathers Matter: A Conversation for Women, and the release of a new toolkit of resources created specifically for women, Heartlines invites mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, caregivers and female friends to reflect on their own father stories – and how those stories ripple out into their lives, relationships, parenting, and sense of self.
The resource launch comes at a critical time, as South Africa continues to grapple with the realities of absent, disengaged or emotionally distant fathers. Fathers Matteris a long-running initiative that encourages men to be present and active in their children’s lives – but this new offering highlights the vital role women play in shaping that involvement.
“Women are central to the fatherhood conversation,” says Zamabongo Mojalefa, Fathers Matter Lead at Heartlines. “Whether through the way they speak about men and fatherhood, the expectations they set in relationships, or the way they raise sons – women are powerful agents in shifting what fatherhood looks like in our communities.”
The toolkit and accompanying video are designed to spark discussion in book clubs, women’s groups, churches, social circles and homes across the country, with prompting questions, such as:
- How did your relationship with your father (or his absence) shape who you are today?
- What views about fatherhood – positive or negative – have you internalised?
- How can you help the fathers or father figures in your life show up better for their children?
“This conversation is for all women,” says Mojalefa. “It’s for single mothers, supported moms or grannies raising grandkids, for women whose own fathers were physically present but emotionally absent, women who have grown up with or without a father, and women who want to support the men in their lives to be better fathers.”
Heartlines is also offering a Conversation for Women workshops to women’s groups, book clubs, conferences, sports clubs, and expert spokespeople for deeper engagement on the topic. Media are invited to interview:
- Merrishia Singh Naicker, Heartlines therapist and community mobilisation expert
- Zamabongo Mojalefa, Fathers Matter lead at Heartlines
Both are available to unpack the impact of fatherhood on women’s identity, how women can help empower present fathers, and why healing our father wounds can be a powerful part of personal growth, as well as better co-parenting.
By acknowledging and unpacking these experiences, Fathers Matter: A Conversation for Women opens up space for healing, empathy and support – and a shared responsibility to raise the next generation with love, presence and purpose.
Sign up for the toolkit here: A Conversation for Women – Fathers Matter
