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| Samantha Sophia Unsplash |
Gender
equality is often seen as a woman’s issue. Yet gender equality for women is good
for men as well as women. I’m listing here a few steps that men can take to
become allies to women in our struggle for gender equality.
1. Acknowledge
male privilege.
Since men were born into a system in which men hold power and women are mostly
excluded from it, they tend not to realize the benefits they are getting just
from being born a male. A man who transitioned to a woman was amazed at what he
was expected to endure as a woman that he does not have to put up with now as a
man. 26-year-old Alex Poon, a Wellesley graduate, who
transitioned from being a female to a male said, “Recently, I’ve been noticing
the difference between being perceived as a woman versus being perceived as a
man. I’ve been wondering how I can strike the right balance between remembering
how it feels to be silenced and talked over with the privileges that come along
with being perceived as a man.” Crossing
the Divide
2. Become allies
with women. Simply
not displaying male superiority is not enough. Women need men to be allies against all forms of discrimination
and abuse. If someone catcalls a woman, call him down. If a man mansplains to a
woman, point it out and expose it as demeaning to her. If women are not given
proper scope to express their voices, advocate for them with other men.
3. Challenge toxic
masculinity. Don’t
buy into stereotypes in which men have to be tough and cannot express their
feelings. Become positive role models for other men,
to show that caring for ourselves and the well being of others is not just a
feminine trait. Listen more than you talk. Encourage boys to respect
girls and treat them with kindness and fairness rather than feeling they have
to make them into conquests to prove themselves. Girls everywhere are
undervalued, undermined, and underestimated.
4. Help transform
power dynamics and support women taking the lead Men
often fear that the empowerment of girls and women will mean losing some of
their own status, but equality benefits us all. For example, distribution of child
care and domestic tasks in the home encourages more satisfying and happy
relationships. In the labor force, greater equality leads to better levels of
production and satisfaction. Promoting women and girls’ leadership will
create positive change in the whole community. Gender equality is not only a
human right, but it is the foundation upon which we can build a better, more
sustainable world. We need both men and
women fighting together to build an equal, inclusive, progressive society. Are
you with us, men?
Mirra, I'd love to have a talk with you sometime about this. I think it would benefit both of us. Partnering with men in a cause such as gender equality is a big topic, but I think we could give it a go. In most of these kinds of conversations, there's a right-wrong seesaw, and to make any progress at all in something as important as the way women are viewed and how they are treated,I think we must leave that seesaw behind. That's what I'd love to explore with you. Let me know if you're interested.
ReplyDeleteSure, Terri. I got all of my suggestions from a young man who is working with other men to support women in our work to attain gender equality. Let me know when you can talk. Thanks for the comment.
DeleteMiira, many of us men are with women in this incredibly important and transformative need for gender equity. Just as a bird can only fly well if both wings are equally strong, so is it true of society - positive evolution can only be achieved with true gender equity. Thank you for sharing excellent points to help willing and supportive men to be actively engaged in this crucial struggle within society. JR
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment and your support and willingness to address this important issue.
ReplyDeleteWhat is mansplaining?
ReplyDeleteFrom Merriam-Webster dictionary: "Mansplain is to explain something to a woman in a condescending way that assumes she has no knowledge about the topic." From Bustle.com: "We’ve had some high-profile cases of “mansplaining” in the last year, perhaps most notably in a September episode of Project Greenlight, when Matt Damon “explained” diversity to a black female film producer, Effie Brown... But, of course, most instances of mansplaining don’t make the news; usually, they are subtle things — interruptions and unasked-for explanations that often have the women on the receiving end wondering if they’re actually being patronized, or if they’re simply being overly sensitive. Women encounter these sly “mansplanations” every day, and, though they may not seem like a big deal in the moment, they have a real affect on how women move and operate in the world."https://www.bustle.com/articles/136319-6-subtle-forms-of-mansplaining-that-women-encounter-each-day
ReplyDelete