TIME TO TALK ABOUT MEN: THE PREJUDICES WE FORGET ABOUT

Reading time: 6 min

Conversations about gender equality in today’s world tend to center around women and LGBTQIA+ individuals. That’s often for good reason, but whenever anybody mentions men’s issues, there’s a sense of frustration and a dismissive attitude, even though men are suffering from some extremely serious issues. Failing to include men in the conversation about gender equality is alienating and actually destroys any possibility of creating gender equality. Our efforts have to involve everyone if they are to be successful in any way.

But what are men’s issues? Well, there are many to be considered. One particularly telling one is the suicide rate for men. In 2023 in the UK, the suicide rate stood at 17.4 per 100,000, while the suicide rate for women was only 5.7 per 100,000.

The way that the world treats men’s value in the home is also very important to recognize. Only 63% of the world’s countries offer paid parental leave for fathers, and shockingly, the USA is not among them. Men also face many other injustices; they are consistently expected to sign up for wars and for other jobs that damage their bodies and devalue them in a myriad of ways. Consistently, men are shut out of areas that are deemed too feminine, such as care work, domestic work, teaching, nursing, etc. They are told to hide their emotions and avoid vulnerability.

All of this points to an uncomfortable truth: men are being grossly underserved by the fight for gender equality. Unfortunately, because there are many legitimate issues faced by women and LGBTQIA+ individuals, it has been increasingly hard for men to get their voices heard.

This leaves many people who identify as male feeling alienated by the fight for gender equality. It discourages them from getting involved or lending their support in ways that could be immensely valuable. If you’re told you aren’t important in this struggle and your experiences don’t matter, why should you put effort into it?

So, clearly, men’s rights are critical for creating gender equality. Indeed, we cannot create gender equality without balancing the playing field for men too. What, then, should organizations do to help men feel more valued and supported?

Improve parental benefits

All organizations should make a point of reviewing their parental benefits and, where possible, equalizing these for men and women. This isn’t just about maternity and paternity leave. It’s also about flexibility surrounding childcare, where there’s currently a lot of disparity.

This disparity is actually a big issue for those who identify as women, as well as those who identify as men. It results in women shouldering the brunt of childcare issues, whether they want to or not, often to the detriment of their own careers. It also leaves men feeling devalued and disconnected from their children because they are never permitted to be the primary caregiver or the person who steps in when things are wrong, whether that’s an illness or just daily caregiving responsibilities. This makes it hard for men to form strong bonds with their children and places an unfair burden on the shoulders of women.

It’s also immensely damaging for single fathers, a group already marginalized in many other ways. Without support networks and the flexibility that organizations often afford to single mothers, it can be very difficult for them to cope in today’s world, leaving fewer men willing to take on this role in the first place.

Organizations can therefore massively improve life for everybody by bringing paternal benefits onto a level with maternal benefits, and ensuring that leave policies and flexibility are offered to everybody across the board, regardless of gender. Here, we see a great example of unlabeling at play - when we take the gender out of it and give everybody the same level of leave, we allow men and women to become equal parents and bond with their children.

Offer and advertise support services

Because of the high suicide rates, it’s well worth organizations considering what support services they can offer for men who are undergoing mental health struggles of any kind. More and more organizations are trying to find ways to offer this kind of support and it’s crucial to bring men into the picture. Therapy services and clinics can be enormously useful, providing men with an outlet and resources that let them get help when they need it.

Offering these needs to be done in the correct way, however. Because many of the stigmas around mental health may leave men reluctant to seek treatment, it’s crucial to ensure that the services are both well-advertised and guarantee anonymity. This will encourage men to make use of them, without fearing that doing so will have a negative impact on their careers.

When implemented properly, offering mental health services at work could be literally life-saving. As men are less likely to enjoy good social support networks than women, workplace support could be even more valuable, providing them with a place to turn when they feel they can’t depend on personal connections.

Even for those who don’t utilize the services, knowing that they are available can be reassuring and help demonstrate that the organization values its workers.

Prioritize intersectionality

It’s important for organizations to recognize that while men may be privileged by their gender in some ways, that’s not going to apply in every case. This is where intersectionality becomes critical. Recognizing that men are not just men, but are also black men, Asian men, disabled men, trans men, men over 40, men under 20, Muslims, Christians, and much, much more is fundamental to creating a culture where men are respected and treated well.

Our intersectionality article helps explain why we have to view people as complete wholes, bringing all their “labels” into the conversation in order to treat them well. Remembering this when dealing with men, rather than getting distracted and seeing only the majority label of “male,” is critical for success in helping everybody to feel valued in the workplace and ensuring that we champion equity.

Time to get hands-on!

To ensure gender equality efforts effectively support men as well, organizations must actively track, listen, and adapt. Start by collecting data on key metrics like men's participation in parental leave, mental health resource usage, and career advancement. Solicit feedback from male employees through surveys or discussions to understand their workplace experiences and areas where they may need more support. Finally, adjust strategies based on data.