Recent years have seen an expanding interest in ‘men and masculinities’ in media narratives, policy priorities, everyday conversations, and even in global consumer brands.
As we work to understand the ever-shifting sociocultural, political and economic landscape, we must reflect on what increased public attention for men and masculinities means in the context of feminist movements. The question of how our contributions support the rights of all women and girls—and people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities—is one that calls for continual reflection, as well as open, honest discussion.
If interest around masculinities is indeed increasing, it is crucial to recognize this is a result of the actions and demands of countless women and girls who speak up through movements like #MeToo and #NiUnaMas. Progressive voices around the world are making themselves heard and demanding recognition and realisation of their rights. An energised youth movement continues to unflinchingly call for justice. Feminists of colour, trans people and LGBTQI communities are illuminating the full complexity of the human experience and refusing to accept reductive versions of how to think about society. These are the people whose experiences we—as a global alliance for engaging men and boys in gender equality—must centre in our minds, words and actions.
The value we can add to these efforts is based on deconstructing patriarchal systems by engaging with those who have historically constructed, benefited from, and reinforced those systems. It involves an understanding of how to transform unequal power relations at all levels. It means centralising an engagement with the concept of privilege, and having an understanding of how gender inequality relates to other forms of oppression.