The #MeToo movement has been an opportunity for profound awakening for some, and for increased visibility of a pervasive reality for others, but where do we go from here? How do we raise caring men? And how do we seize this opportunity to create family, workplace, and national cultures that break gender binaries and support new possibilities for manhood?
Gender equality experts Riane Eisler, President of the Center for Partnership Studies, and Gary Barker, President and CEO of Equimundo, held a transformational dialogue on March 6 about the future of masculinity in the #MeToo world, moderated by Ron LeGrand, member of the Equimundo Board of Directors.
As powerful men are being called out and brought down for sexual abuse and harassment, and we witness an American President bragging about violating women’s bodily integrity, women around the world have responded by courageously speaking the truth about what it means to live in a world without gender equality.
This time of reckoning is an opportunity not only to call men out, but to call them in to positive versions of masculinity that benefit us all. In the webinar, Gary Barker and Riane Eisler discussed questions including:
- How can the #MeToo moment revolutionize the way we think about manhood?
- What do we know about parenting practices that nurture caring boys?
- What kinds of new markers and myths of masculinity will support humanizing experiences of boyhood?
- How will we make the shift from control to connection as our most-prized masculine quality?
- What can we do now to create workplace cultures that value the full human experience, including responsibilities for care of children, elders, and our natural environment?
- How do we use this moment to drive changes at the social and economic policy level that will set the stage for a future of gender partnership?
The speakers encouraged continued engagement in this timely and vital dialogue about the future of masculinity in the #MeToo world.
Watch the full webinar recording here:
https://youtu.be/KTTQu_WCDYA
The webinar slides are available online here.