Not a zero-sum-game: shedding light on men, boys and gender equality
The Permanent Delegations of the Nordic countries to the Council of Europe held a seminar on 18 November 2024 on the “Inclusion of men and boys in gender equality efforts”. The seminar was opened by State Secretary Erlend Kaldestad Hanstveit from the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Equality.
The seminar is the first in a series of three organised by the five Nordic Permanent Representations to the Council of Europe and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. This first seminar, moderated by Mr Panos Kakaviatos, shed light on particular challenges faced by men and boys in member States and underlined that gender equality is not a zero-sum-game.
Mr Claus Jervell, who led the Norwegian government-appointed Men’s Equality Commission, presented the findings of their recent report, highlighting intersectional inequalities faced by men and boys from marginalised groups, followed by Ms Kira Appel from the Danish Ministry of Equality who outlined key recommendations from the first-ever Action Plan on gender equality for men and boys.
Amongst the issues discussed by the Danish psychologist Ms Stine Helding Rand and Mr Aleksandar Dimitrijevic from MenEngage Europe were how men and boys can be agents for change when it comes to redefining masculinity and harmful stereotypes and gender norms, and how to remove barriers and create safe spaces to allow for men and boys to address and express their vulnerabilities, without fear of judgment or shame.
Finally, the audience heard from representatives from different Council of Europe bodies on recent developments in the field of men and gender equality within the organisation, including Ms Marja Ruotanen, Director General for Democracy and Human Dignity, and Mr Ralph Kass, Chairperson of the Gender Equality Commission. Mr Edmunds Cepurītis, Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Gender Equality, Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination at the Parliamentary Assembly, emphasised the important role of parliamentarians in moving the agenda forward.
The panellists, challenged by a youth panel consisting of Mx Anna Knobbout, Ms Roberta Bojang and Ms Frida Hellen, also discussed how to address global threats posed by anti-feminist men’s rights movements and how to prevent them from hijacking or overshadowing legitimate gender equality issues faced by men and boys.
The full programme and reports discussed can be found at the bottom of this page.
If you missed the panel discussion, you are invited to watch the recording below:
For questions, please contact the Permanent Delegation of Norway to the Council of Europe.
Related documents:
Report of the Norwegian Men’s Equality Commission – Executive Summary in English