“Calling Men and Boys In”
What we heard: Report from the roundtables on engaging men and boys to advance gender equality

We also heard that, while men and boys can benefit in a male dominated society, individual men and boys can also experience unfair societal expectations (in other words, projecting toughness, inability to express emotions, pressures of being a provider). Some men and boys can also be marginalized as a result of individual identity factors, such as their age, race, religion, education, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.

Men and boys can also be limited by restrictive ideas about masculinity and what it means to be a man. Engaging men and boys on this front can support better outcomes for them as well; through healthy communities and workplaces, balanced work and family responsibilities, and positive gender identities, expressions and relationships.

Movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp have expanded the important discussions on the reality of unequal gender relations that benefit a few individuals but silence and harm many others. These discussions are revealing the abuses perpetrated by some men and are also demonstrating that negative attitudes and behaviour with respect to gender-based violence are more common than many realize. These movements have generated widespread and long overdue discussions among individuals, communities, companies and governments about the relationship between inequality and gender-based violence.

Engaging men and boys as partners in gender equality is critical. Men and boys can support the conditions for women’s empowerment by working to change the biased attitudes, norms and behaviours that limit women’s opportunities and outcomes in the workplace, in the home and in the community. Most importantly, they can lead by example by rejecting violent behaviours toward women and girls and non-binary people and being willing to speak out whenever they see violence or harassment directed at women, girls or transgender or non-binary people.A movement is building between Canadians, governments and civil society. Internationally and domestically, it is increasingly recognized that achieving gender equality requires the participation of everyone, including men and boys. The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women calls for countries to “Fully engage men and boys to take an active part in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls…”

Canada has a long history and an important opportunity to drive real, meaningful progress towards an equitable and inclusive society by engaging men and boys. A Canadian federal strategy on engaging men and boys to advance gender equality would make Canada a leader and would represent an important commitment to the creation of a more inclusive society that provides everyone with the opportunity to realize their full potential.

Roundtable discussions

The roundtable discussions brought together over 200 participants from across the country to share their experiences and insights on how best to engage men and boys to advance gender equality. Participants included representatives of community-based organizations working on a range of issues and programs related to men and boys’ engagement in gender equality as well as academics, community leaders and representatives of groups advocating persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2 people, seniors, Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, students, youth, faith-based organizations, the private sector, labour and others.

Roundtables took place in Winnipeg, Moncton, St. John’s, Surrey, Yellowknife, Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. In addition to regionally-based discussions, thematic consultations were held on specific issues related to students, young Canadians and workplaces, as well as corporate engagement. The roundtables also consulted with LGBTQ2, as well as racialized, faith-based, newcomer and Indigenous communities. Individuals from these communities were also invited to participate in each regional roundtable to ensure diverse voices were heard in all locations.

What we heard

Roundtable discussions focused primarily on identifying core principles for engaging men and boys in advancing gender equality and sharing successful models and practices that help increase the participation of men and boys on this issue.

For the most part, we heard that engaging men and boys is critical to creating and supporting an inclusive society and that this work should reflect diversities among men and boys. Many stakeholders also said that men and boys’ voices must not be prioritized over those of women and girls, and that resources should not be diverted from the important work of organizations serving the needs of women and girls. It was clear from participants that there is an important role for government to demonstrate leadership, set standards, and ensure that our efforts have the objective of advancing gender equality.

Detailed comments received are organized under four themes below. Discussions also helped clarify key principles, which tend to align with particular themes.

Theme 1: Identify persistent behaviours contributing to inequality to start unlearning them

We also heard about the importance of language, specifically that it must be accessible to and resonate with different groups of men and boys. Participants identified frameworks such as feminist, strength-based, faith-based, trauma-informed, harm reduction, as well as specific and successful approaches such as anti-black racism, to ensure language used is inclusive of different identities, faiths, cultures and backgrounds. Rural communities also require special approaches that address their location, their history, and any additional stresses.

In order to create healthy workplaces, participants told us that employers and labour organizations need to engage with and educate leaders and employees on the importance of gender equality. Discussions focused on how policies that promote gender equality can create positive change in workplace culture (for example, promoting equally shared parental leave among both spouses and gender responsive mentorship programs).

We also heard that increasing gender equal workplaces can result in more gender equal homes. For example, an increase in the uptake of men using parental leave can lead to an increase in the sharing of paid and unpaid work in households, and also have positive impacts on partners and children.

Key principles:

• Create room for healing and restorative approaches for individuals and communities.
• Efforts must be gender transformative, which means challenging and changing the attitudes and behaviours that cause harm. Working towards the goal of gender equality alone, or just holding workshops for men is not sufficient. Men and boys need to lead the transformation of those parts of masculinity that cause harm to others, and to men and boys as well.

Key findings:

• Long-term, sustainable funding is needed, but it must not take away resources dedicated to addressing the needs of women and girls. This should include an Indigenous-specific stream to address the continuing effects of colonialism on Indigenous men and boys, and Indigenous communities.
• There is a need for a multi-pronged and long-term approach to challenge and support the role men and boys must play in advancing gender equality in the home, community and workplace.
  • Education and awareness are important tools. Reaching people when they are young is critical as gender norms and attitudes have started solidifying by adolescence. However, adult programming is also needed, covering a wide range of access points, including parenthood, workplaces, leaders, and both the perpetrators and survivors of violence.
• Many participants felt new funding opportunities should target key stakeholder groups and issues, such as:
  • Workplaces and SMEs in response to the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements;
  • Youth, both in and out of school, to build early support for gender equality among young people;
  • Supporting partnerships between community organizations, such as not-for-profits, faith-based organizations, and sports organizations to promote gender equality in meaningful ways;
  • Amplifying the voices of LGBTQ2 communities and ensuring that the specific needs and concerns of LGBTQ2 people are addressed; and
  • Taking a healing or restorative approach by going to the source of inequality, and listening to the experiences of people who are injured and seeking to break cycles of violence and inequality.

Theme 3: Efforts must be sustained through building networks, sharing knowledge, and taking action

We heard from each roundtable that there were additional benefits to these discussions in providing networking opportunities and in the connections individuals and organizations were able to make during the sessions. A number of individuals indicated that the roundtables provided a space for colleagues from across the country to connect, share best practices and lessons learned, and create networks and partnerships to amplify and strengthen their efforts.

A significant challenge remains with the limited data currently available on attitudes and norms, especially data segregated by identity factors. While it is critical to build up the evidence base, participants highlighted that communities need to be involved in the process in order to ensure that it is based on on-the-ground experiences and that the data is useful to organizations.

Participants highlighted that federal departments must not work independently of one another on the issue and that the Government of Canada is only one actor among many working to engage men and boys in efforts to advance gender equality. We heard that the provincial, territorial and municipal governments, civil society and grassroots organizations all have equally important roles to play and that internal and external partnerships are necessary.

Engaging men and boys is only one component in the greater goal of achieving gender equality. Issues such as pay equity, affordable housing, income inequality, poverty, reducing the wage gap, systemic discrimination against Indigenous peoples, improving childcare, ending workplace harassment, and providing adequate healthcare were also seen as critical factors in addressing gender inequality.

Key principles:

• Promote collaboration and partnerships to leverage and expand knowledge and resources.
• Focus on evidence-based approaches and realistic outcomes.

Key findings:

• Many stakeholders called for a whole-of-government approach. They emphasized the need for leadership from the federal government to make systemic and institutional changes to mandates, laws and policies in support of sustainable gender equality.
  • The federal government could also play a leadership role with other jurisdictions and work towards cohesive national action.
• The Government has a role to play in amplifying and sustaining the work of organizations.
  • This would involve creating an information-sharing network and ongoing engagement opportunities to build meaningful long-term relationships within and between governments, civil society and communities for sustained and evidence-based efforts.
  • Ensuring that funding and research and data collection contribute to a sustainable agenda.
• Collect a set of benchmarks and indicators on perceptions, gender roles, and the benefits of gender equality to men and boys.

Theme 4: Accountability and resource scarcity

Key principles:

• Resources for engaging men and boys must not divert from resources supporting gender equality for women and girls, as well as efforts to support non-binary people.

Key findings:

• Long-term, sustainable funding is needed, but it must not take away resources dedicated to addressing the needs of women and girls.
• The work to engage men and boys as partners in promoting gender equality must acknowledge the leadership of women’s and LGBTQ2 movements to help ensure that the work of engaging men and boys is not used against the ideals of gender equality.
• Stakeholders called for the Government of Canada to demonstrate leadership by implementing initiatives beyond Women and Gender Equality Canada that promote a culture of gender equality throughout the public service.
  • This includes workplaces that have been traditionally male-dominated, including the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The path forward – A role for the Government of Canada

The roundtables were clear: Men and boys are an integral part of achieving gender equality in Canada. Guided by the pioneering work of the women’s movement and LGBTQ2 organizations, participants stated that we must work to challenge attitudes and behaviours that lead to gender inequality so that all people in Canada have an equal and fair chance to live up to their full social and economic potential.

This report summarizes a number of key findings across a wide range of issues raised by stakeholders. From these findings, we have identified three overarching roles for the federal government in any new strategy:

Be a leader

Participants called for the federal government to play a leadership role and demonstrate progress on gender issues, as an employer and a major institution. It can also play an active role in amplifying and spreading norms, attitudes and behaviours that promote gender equality. By grounding activities under a strategy to engage men and boys in a set of principles, the Government can help ensure that the objectives of gender equality and a healthier, more inclusive society are advanced.

Be a convenor

Changing gender norms, behaviours and attitudes will require sustained commitment over time. This requires collaboration with other government partners, other levels of governments, non-governmental organizations and civil society to build healthy communities together.

The federal government can facilitate collaboration in a flexible way that acknowledges the intersectionality of men and boys’ issues. This will require us to meet men and boys where they are, both in their lived experiences and in their existing understanding of gender equality.

Furthermore, we will look at the role that men and boys need to play in gender equality efforts, in the home, community and workplace, in order to make sustainable progress towards addressing gender-based inequalities and inequitable social norms.

Be a supporter and funder

Where possible, the federal government should fund and support activities that raise awareness and help organizations to grow capacity. These investments should be sustainable, and focus on activities that address the root causes of gender inequality.

Additionally, research, evidence sharing and improved data are necessary to build long-term knowledge and networks for promoting gender equality. There is a strong role for the federal government to play in establishing frameworks and sharing best practices that can be used widely.

Conclusion

We want to thank all those who took time to provide their thoughts on a strategy, and assure them that their expertise and efforts are highly valued. This report will set the stage for the Government of Canada’s next steps to engage men and boys as partners in advancing gender equality.

The input was essential in giving guidance to areas of concern and consideration, and to showing the potential and promise of engaging men and boys in gender equality. We witnessed a vibrant, diverse, and passionate community of actors all working towards our shared vision of a future where everyone can reach their full potential.

Most importantly, we heard loud and clear that men are an essential part of the solution. Gender equality is the key to progress for women and girls and non-binary people, but is also essential for men and boys. As more men and boys are called into the conversations on gender equality and encouraged to act, the outcomes for everyone will be vastly improved, and everyone will benefit.