What can male allies do to accelerate action in support of the feminist cause and counter this resurgence of patriarchal control?
The role of men in the fight for gender justice and womenโs rights presents a complex challenge. While many male allies are personally committed to these causes, we still benefit as individuals and as groups from societal privileges associated with just being men. This inherent privilege and power create a trust and efficacy challenge to menโs contribution to the feminist struggle, especially during times of renewed attacks on womenโs rights as these.
To be effective allies, we can commit to these actions men:
๐ญ. ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐น๐ณ-๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ: Learn about gender inequality and aim to get to the psychological heart of its drivers.
๐ฎ. ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป: Actively seek out and learn from the lived experiences of women at the intersections of race, indigeneity, and geography.
๐ฏ. ๐๐ถ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐ ‘๐จ๐ ๐๐. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐บ’ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐: Challenge language and actions that create categories and divisions of exploitative stereotypes and roles.
๐ฐ. ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ: Recognize and relinquish arbitrary privilege and power that men hold in personal and professional settings.
๐ฑ. ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐: Critically examine, demystify and challenge harmful religious conservatist ideas, traditional values, and their instrumental interpretations.
๐ฒ. ๐๐ ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐น๐น๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ: by ceding spaces to feminist voices, amplifying their narratives, and centering their experiences.
We must find ways to collaborate across traditional fault lines to dismantle the intersecting attacks on womenโs rights. This requires a critical mass of male allies willing to disrupt and deconstruct the inequality machines and systems, at our own cost, even risking social or professional standing.
It is not easy. We need courageous action and solidarity.
What concrete steps will you take today, tomorrow and the day after to accelerate action for womenโs equality?