Question: How important do you think mens support is for gender equality as the majority of the support for this movement is women.

Aífe Hopkins-Doyle answered on 24 Nov 2021:

Hi Finn, great question. I think that it is essential for men to be engaged in and support gender equality for a couple of reasons and these can appeal to people differently. Firstly, men actually stand to benefit from gender equality – research shows that gender stereotypes are more strict for men than for women, so reducing gender bias and stereotyping will allow men to experience life more equally too (i.e., less pressure to achieve, be mentally strong, and unemotional). Second, as members of a higher status group (i.e., having more positions of power and status in society) men can act in solidarity with women to achieve gender equality, through engaging in collective actions to support political and legal changes for gender equality, but also by calling out gender bias (including sexual harassment) amongst peers and in school/college. Research shows that it is less risky for members of higher status groups to call out discrimination. Third, if we view our society and success in that society on the basis of merit (i.e., what you do) then it is immoral to treat people differently based on their sex or gender identity.