Feminist Principles in Men's Behavior Change

Some people question whether men support the idea of gender fairness. After all, they are far less likely to participate in gender-themed programing or disrupt gender bias and sexism in real time. But the evidence tells a different story. This important Catalyst Inc. research by Sheila Brassel, PhD and Emily Shaffer, including over 5,000 men from nine countries and more than 12 industries shows that most men DO want to close gender gaps at work. Consider these numbers: ▶️ 76% want their organization to identify areas where women employees are disadvantaged and change the culture in ways that produce gender equity. ▶️ 82% say that top managers should have a good understanding of gender equity issues. ▶️ 79% want their organizations to promote general cultural awareness of issues concerning women at work. ▶️ 75% think there should be equal or near-equal numbers of women and men at senior and middle levels of organizations. The problem? Pressure to conform to harmful — yet pervasive — stereotypes about masculinity suppresses men’s engagement in gender equity initiatives and daily acts of collaboration and allyship with women. David Smith and I refer to this as the Aspiration-Execution Gap in male allyship. In this study, 75% of men felt pressure to be aggressive, independent, and competitive at work and 87% want it to be more acceptable to express traits like empathy and kindness in their workplaces. Some solutions? ✅ Take a careful look at masculinity contest culture in your organization. ✅ Conduct listening sessions with men to learn more about the inhibitors to participation in gender fairness initiatives. ✅ Avoid shame/blame messaging and instead, show men the opportunity (for them, women, and the organization) and invite them in. ✅ Build inclusive and gender-fair attitudes and behaviors into all your leader development programming. ✅ Hire and promote those men who exhibit a track record of gender-intelligence, gender-inclusion, and who serve as powerful role models for other men. In companies where men are actively involved in gender diversity, inclusion, and fairness efforts, 96% report progress. In contrast, among companies where men are not involved, only 30% show progress. https://lnkd.in/ehXPUyzs

From Awareness to Action: How Male Engagement Shifts Gender Norms in Health In recent years, gender-transformative programs have gained traction as a strategy to improve health outcomes by shifting restrictive gender norms. But how effective are they, and what role do men and boys play in driving this change? A landmark review by Levy et al. (2020) analyzed gender-transformative programs aimed at shifting gender norms for children, adolescents, and young adults (0-24 years old). The findings were both promising and concerning: ✅Programs led to improvements in gender-related behaviors and health outcomes. ❌ But only 16% showed strong evidence of actual norm change. 🚨 Most programs targeted women and girls, often neglecting the role of men and boys in shifting harmful masculinity norms. Fast forward to 2025, and a new systematic review by Gottert et al. moves this conversation forward by analyzing how male engagement programs impact gender norms and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. Gottert et al. reviewed 35 systematic reviews and nearly 1,000 studies and found that engaging men in SRH programs not only improves health outcomes but also contributes to norm change in key ways: ✔ Men as Clients – Encouraging men to access SRH services (e.g., HIV testing, contraception) helps normalize help-seeking behavior, breaking down stigma. ✔ Men as Partners – Supporting their female partners in reproductive health fosters shared decision-making and challenges traditional power imbalances in relationships. ✔ Men as Agents of Change – When men actively promote gender-equitable norms in their communities, it leads to wider social change beyond individual behavior shifts. Key Findings from Gottert et al. ·      Male engagement programs lead to positive shifts in gender attitudes—men are more likely to support women’s contraceptive choices, engage in caregiving, and reject harmful gender norms. ·      Behavioral change accompanies attitude shifts—men who participate in interventions are more likely to seek HIV testing, support partners in SRH, and challenge gender stereotypes in their communities. ·      Unlike Levy’s findings, Gottert provides stronger evidence that male engagement leads to measurable norm change, not just temporary shifts in behavior. What’s Next? Scaling Up Norm-Shifting Approaches Levy et al. highlighted that most norm-shifting programs remain small-scale pilots—rarely institutionalized in health systems or policies. Gottert et al. argue that to create lasting change, we must integrate norm-shifting strategies into mainstream health and development programs by: The Takeaway If gender-transformative programs are to succeed, they must move beyond just targeting women and girls—we need men actively engaged as partners and advocates for gender equality. #GenderEquality #MaleEngagement #NormShifting #PublicHealth #SocialNorms #ReproductiveHealth #SRHR #BehaviorChange #HealthEquity #SocialMarketing #AdolescentHealth

He’s a good partner, a loyal friend, a good father. But he never connected her daily frustrations to the word ‘gender inequality.’ This guide helps make that connection—with practical entry points like these: Understand how gender norms shape all our lives → The guide unpacks how expectations about masculinity and femininity affect men and women—and how these norms are reproduced, often unintentionally, in daily life. Start with listening, not lecturing → Emphasise the importance of listening to women’s lived experiences—not to argue or fix, but to truly hear. Many men support gender equality in theory, but haven’t linked that belief to real-world stories from women they care about. Move from allyship to shared responsibility → Invites men to be more than bystanders—encouraging everyday actions like interrupting sexist jokes, sharing the emotional labour in relationships, or challenging gendered dynamics at work. Ground it in community, not guilt → Gender equality work isn’t about blaming men—it’s about inviting them into a collective project that benefits everyone, including men themselves. Offer practical ways to engage boys and peers → Spark healthy conversations with other men—whether in families, friendships, or workplaces—so that the responsibility for change isn’t placed solely on women. Because being a good partner, parent or friend isn’t just about support. It’s about seeing the systems that make support necessary—and helping to change them. #GenderEquality #EngagingMenandBoys 🔔 Follow me for similar content

Micro-Feminism - How Small Actions Can Make a Big Difference Sometimes male allyship is seen by men as being too onerous and yet the truth is every man can make a difference everyday but just making small adjustments. It’s something Lori Meakin touched on in last week’s Male Allyship panel (link to catch up on the panel below): “If everyone could just do some stuff, like micro-feminism... just doing a hundred little things or two little things, it doesn't matter... but if we can all do more of that, it will make a significant difference.” If you haven’t heard of micro-feminism, it refers to small-scale, everyday acts and practices that promote feminist principles and gender equality. It focuses on the cumulative impact of these minor actions, which may not seem significant individually but collectively contribute to cultural and social change. I love it as a concept because it so aligns with the hacker methodology I apply in my work with clients everyday Here are some examples: - Using gender-neutral language to be more inclusive (e.g., I banned "guys" from my vocabulary over five years ago). - Calling in or calling out microaggressions. - Repeating a woman’s idea in a meeting and crediting her. - As a father, making sure it’s your name that the school has to call first. - When a waiter hands the wine menu to a man, making a point of handing it to one of the women around the table. - Promoting and celebrating the work of female creators (maybe also consider auditing your bookshelf to see the current gender mix of authors). - Ensuring that at least 50% of quotes in your presentations are from women. - Displaying images, posters, and artwork that represent diverse women and gender identities in public and private spaces. - As a man, offering to take notes or make the coffee. - Supporting businesses owned by women or those that actively promote gender equality through their practices. - Promoting equal sharing of household chores and childcare duties within your family. - Advocating for and supporting equitable parental leave policies in the workplace. - Continuously educating oneself about feminist issues and gender equity, and unlearning internalised sexism and biases. - Using social media platforms to share information about feminist issues, gender equity, and women’s rights. - Writing "Mrs. & Mr." (I now always put female first on any survey I send out). - Referring to men’s football alongside women’s football (so men’s football stops being the default). - When buying gifts for children, choosing toys and books that defy gender norms and encourage a broad range of interests and activities regardless of gender. - Instead of opening doors for women, opening doors for everyone. What’s your favourite act of micro-feminism? What could you commit to doing differently from next week? #Feminism #GenderEquity #Inclusion #MaleAllyship

In terms of programming targeting men in humanitarian settings for gender norm change, there is an emerging body of evidence from low- and middle income countries on ‘what works.’ However, adapting these to a humanitarian setting presents a range of particular challenges, and may not be feasible in rapid onset crises or when a crisis escalates. This review covers several common approaches that have been tried and evaluated in both non-humanitarian and humanitarian settings, and summarizes key recommendations for successful implementation, such as: • Ensuring approaches are explicitly gender transformational • Engaging with both women and men • Taking into account the relational nature of gender • Focusing on root causes and gendered drivers of gendered inequalities and GBV, as well as contributing factors (e.g. social norms, substance abuse, anger management) • Ensuring interventions are contextualized and adapted to the particular context and knowledge/ language level of the participants, in terms of both using vernacular language and not being overly abstract or technical • Using participatory methods rather than didactic approaches • Engaging with the participants over a sustained period of time • Making sure that interventions are part of broader approaches that reinforce the messages of the intervention rather than one-off or stand-alone programmes • Addressing factors that contribute to gendered inequalities and GBV, such as economic stress factors • Enhancing critical reflection. Work with men and boys on gender equality – be it in humanitarian or other settings – also needs to be accountable to feminist principles and local women’s rights movements.