Men's involvement in gender equality – European perspectives

Abstract

This article is based on a study that was commissioned from the Swedish non-government organisation, Men for Gender Equality, by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). The aim of the research was to map stakeholders – including public authorities, research centres, civil society organisations, social partners, and individual experts – working to engage men in gender equality work in all 27 Member States and at European level. Drawing on existing scholarship in the field of men and masculinities, the article outlines the current regional and national context, and the main findings of the research that were published as a report by the EIGE. The article examines the extent and nature of the work, identifying 241 organisations working on themes such as gender equality, violence prevention, fatherhood/caregiving, health, gay/bisexual and transgender issues, and education and learning. The greatest number were found in Sweden and the UK, and the fewest in Central and Eastern Europe. The article highlights different perspectives on the benefits of involving men in gender equality initiatives and examines stakeholder views of the obstacles to this work. It concludes with some observations on ways forward.