As South Africa prepares to celebrate Father’s Day, we are faced with the sobering contradiction between the ideal and the reality. On the one hand, Father’s Day is meant to honour the gift and calling of fatherhood. It is a time when we give thanks for the men who lead, protect, nurture, and build strong families, which are the foundational building blocks of our society. Yet, in a country plagued by some of the highest rates of gender-based violence (GBV) in the world, this day often exposes a painful truth: the absence, silence, and abdication of fathers is a national crisis where women and children are paying the price.