Engaging South Sudanese Men and Boys in Breaking the Cycle of Intimate Partner Violence

This chapter examines the critical role of South Sudanese men and young men in preventing intimate partner violence (IPV) through the lens of women’s economic empowerment. While economic independence enhances women’s agency and provides pathways out of abusive relationships, it may also disrupt traditional gender hierarchies and trigger resistance from male partners in patriarchal contexts. Therefore, sustainable IPV prevention must involve the active engagement of men and boys in transforming harmful gender norms and behaviours. Focusing on regional Australian settings—particularly Shepparton, Victoria—this chapter explores how men and young South Sudanese men navigate the tension between traditional values and modern gender expectations. It draws on community-based programmes and emerging evidence to analyse how cultural norms, economic stress, and peer influences shape male attitudes toward power, masculinity, and violence. This chapter highlights successful interventions, including mentorship programmes, economic participation initiatives, and peer-led education, which promote alternative, respectful models of masculinity. Culturally responsive strategies such as fatherhood programmes, intergenerational dialogues, and skill-building workshops are discussed as tools for fostering empathy, accountability, and positive identity development. This chapter argues that women’s economic empowerment and the prevention of IPV are deeply interconnected goals. Progress is most effective when men and boys are engaged not as obstacles, but as essential partners in creating safer, more equitable communities.