12 reasons we need #GenderEqualityForMen
This article is reproduced from the DAVIA website, originally published on 4th March 2024 here.
The vast majority of persons support the goal of gender equality. To date, the gender equality conversation has focused almost exclusively on the concerns of women and girls. But the needs of men and boys deserve at least equal attention. Around the world, men and boys are lagging in 12 major areas:
Education
The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment’s reading tests of 15-year-olds found that girls outscored boys by an average of 30 points, with an overall mean of 487.
The World Bank reported in 2012: “Women reversed the education gap and now have higher completion rates than men for primary, secondary, and even tertiary education.” In 60 countries, more women than men are enrolled in universities (Figure 3).
Health
Lifespan gap of 5 years: Men: 68.9 years; Women: 73.9 years,
Nearly three times higher suicide rates than women: Men: 14.7/100,000 persons; Women: 5.3/100,000.
Workplace
15 times the number of occupational deaths, compared to women: Men: 6.2/100,000 workers, Women: 0.4/100,000.
Nearly twice the number of occupational injuries as women. Men: 1,443/100,000 workers, Women: 755/100,000 workers.
Homelessness
76% of homeless persons are men.
Violence
Males account for 78% of all homicide victims.
Among children 0-19 years old, boys account for 70% of all homicide victims.
Gendercide: Mass killings of civilian men.
Military Conscription
Many countries have compulsory military service only for men.
Nine countries have compulsory military conscription for both men and women. But in three of these countries — Chad, Eritrea, and Israel — men are required to serve for more time than women.
Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse
Far fewer services for male victims of domestic violence, even though men are equally likely to be DV victims.
False allegations of abuse and paternity fraud
Children
97 million boys, compared to 63 million girls, are subjected to child labor.
Sextortion: 90% of sextortion victims are males
Legal System
Extreme court biases in awards of child custody. As a result, fathers represent only 15.7% of all single parent households (Source: UN Women, page 63)
More severe treatment of men at every step of the criminal-legal process, including the treatment of persons accused of sex offenses.
Reproductive Rights
Upon becoming pregnant, a woman can choose to have the baby, get an abortion, or put the baby up for adoption. Men have none of these reproductive rights.
Extreme Weather
Males account for 79% of all deaths from lightning.
Men are 2-3 times more likely to die from extreme natural heat.
Males are more likely to die from excessive cold.
Men are more likely than women to die during famine.
Media Portrayals
Reporting and commentary about men: 69% unfavorable, 12% favorable, and 19% neutral or balanced.
The Basic Index of Gender Inequality, which measures childhood educational opportunities, healthy life expectancy, and overall life satisfaction, likewise reveals men have fallen behind women in 91 out of 134 countries. Other disparities have been documented in sex discrimination against men in hiring decisions, including for STEM positions.
These problems are occurring within the context of a broader cultural assault on men and masculinity. But funding agencies continue favor females over males by more than a three-to-one margin, according to one analysis.
For further information on these issues, and to find out about the The International Council on the Status of Men and Boys which is working to address the concerns of men and boys, please see the send half of the page here.
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Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, legal advice, or other professional opinion. Never disregard such advice because of this article or anything else you have read from the Centre for Male Psychology. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of, or are endorsed by, The Centre for Male Psychology, and we cannot be held responsible for these views. Read our full disclaimer here.
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When a male is in a power imbalance, at least two masculine instincts are disempowered…
…people – men and women alike – respond less positively to male-favouring sex differences than they do to female-favouring sex differences.
hyper-masculine gender norms are typically embedded within military institutions, and while adherence to these norms can contribute to combat and military success, they conversely make clinical work challenging
Men might benefit greatly from a government strategy aimed at improving their health. Here are suggestions from the Centre for Male Psychology on how that might be done. This article ends with some comments on potential pitfalls in the process of putting this strategy in place.
…people – men and women alike – respond less positively to male-favouring sex differences than they do to female-favouring sex differences.
… many papers do not even bother to identify or justify the nationality of their samples…
hyper-masculine gender norms are typically embedded within military institutions, and while adherence to these norms can contribute to combat and military success, they conversely make clinical work challenging
There is social power, there is structural power, and there is physical power. What women have in our society is the power of the state behind them, and men do not. Men only have that physical power, and most men don’t want to use it
people are more aware of the fact men can be victims of this type of violence, but this often isn’t translated into policy, practice or indeed provision of resources
Therapists can work effectively with men experiencing distress without asking them to change. Telling them they are ‘doing masculinity wrong’ is judgemental and victim blaming.
people are more aware of the fact men can be victims of this type of violence, but this often isn’t translated into policy, practice or indeed provision of resources
people are more aware of the fact men can be victims of this type of violence, but this often isn’t translated into policy, practice or indeed provision of resources
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hyper-masculine gender norms are typically embedded within military institutions, and while adherence to these norms can contribute to combat and military success, they conversely make clinical work challenging
hyper-masculine gender norms are typically embedded within military institutions, and while adherence to these norms can contribute to combat and military success, they conversely make clinical work challenging
hyper-masculine gender norms are typically embedded within military institutions, and while adherence to these norms can contribute to combat and military success, they conversely make clinical work challenging
hyper-masculine gender norms are typically embedded within military institutions, and while adherence to these norms can contribute to combat and military success, they conversely make clinical work challenging
hyper-masculine gender norms are typically embedded within military institutions, and while adherence to these norms can contribute to combat and military success, they conversely make clinical work challenging
Much of our attitudes, theorizing and public debate around men and masculinity is influenced by high profile feminist and Gender Studies scholars in academia. But what is the scientific quality of publications from these scholars?
Some people blame drill music – a form of rap - for the rising murder rate in London. Drill is known for aggressive lyrics about gang violence, but rather than seeing this as a valuable way for young men to express their feelings, some people want to ban it.
To survive… cultures have to use men and women effectively and … in fact, most cultures have used men and women in different ways… what our culture does is [grant] greater status to men and greater protection to women
hyper-masculine gender norms are typically embedded within military institutions, and while adherence to these norms can contribute to combat and military success, they conversely make clinical work challenging
There are around 300,000 veterans living with hearing loss in the UK, according to The Royal British Legion. In addition to being at a greater risk of PTSD, depression, and anxiety, many vets are also battling psychological distress from hearing problems.
The book begins with a description of her therapeutic approach, and an illustration of how to understand and work with the rage often seen in male CSA clients.
I felt in my dealings with some police officers, as though I were treated firstly as a man (assumed to be a perpetrator), but they’d overlooked risks associated with my impairment. Example: How can you dodge a missile you don’t see coming?
The Panorama programme on domestic violence failed to adequately highlight two important issues: male victims and female perpetrators.
your photograph, name and address, might appear in the local and national press and on TV, insinuating what an evil monster you are
…an attack upon masculinity is an attack upon one’s sense of self, of identity. …What, then, is the right psychological defence against such an attack?
The male has been designed to “look”, not only at the female, but to “look out” for prey, for danger, and for ways to protect his family unit.
If his child is allowed to live, this man must be available, for the rest of his life, to love and provide for his child… If, on the other hand, it is decided that his child is to be destroyed, he should be able to go about his life as if nothing has happened
Socialising is a basic human need. The opposite – social isolation – is one of the worst forms of torture. Some people look down on the local pub as a place for undesirable riff raff, but that narrow viewpoint misses entirely the community value of the pub
Male psychology is a recent development in academia. Unlike gender studies, feminism, and men’s studies, male psychology takes the view that we can gain more by recognising and harnessing the positive aspects of masculinity than we can by taking a relentlessly negative approach to men.
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The Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance is a global human rights organization.