Since the day after the US presidential elections, I’ve had numerous private conversations with fellow feminist activists – advocates who have built their careers on the belief that gender equality cannot be solely the responsibility of women. Many of them, despite their dedication, felt deeply defeated seeing the majority of male voters, across ages and ethnicities, support Donald Trump. Although they still believe, from a rational standpoint, that engaging men to address gender equality is essential, many of them also feel that they are “done working with men.”
In the past few weeks since the Inauguration, it has become painfully clear that the very cause of gender equality – or even simply uttering these words – is under direct attack by the Trump Administration. The question of whether to continue investing in male allyship is not just an ideological debate, but a funding challenge. Companies, organizations, and governments who once championed gender equality are backing away from it. With resources being slashed for essential services both in the U.S. and globally, the urgency grows.
Today, on International Women’s Day, it’s important to reiterate something I’ve been telling my fellow feminist activists: when so many young men believe feminism is out to get them, it’s not the time to give up. If anything, if gender equality is to survive as a cause – and if our democracy is to endure – we must double down on our efforts to both support and engage men and boys. And as we do this, we must also continue to advocate for investment in supporting the organizations and frontline services that serve the populations most impacted by this administration – women, girls, LGBTQ+ people, and immigrants. The fight for equality is far from over, and it is more urgent than ever.
Even before Trump’s re-election, we knew that progress toward equity had stalled – not only in the U.S. but globally. Our International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) research, conducted across multiple countries, showed that while we might expect younger people to lean more progressive than older generations, younger men often hold similarly regressive views about gender roles and stereotypes as older men, in some cases more so. The actions of the Trump Administration serve as a stark reminder that policies can shift with culture, and we must continue investing in changing societal norms and individual attitudes if we want meaningful policy change to endure.
Today, the growing sense of perceived economic insecurity, mental and emotional health struggles, and challenges in boys’ education are all contributing to a sense of precarity that makes young men vulnerable to the appeal of reactionary movements. Yet, our data simultaneously shows that many men want the advantages that come with challenging the restrictive ideas about masculinity that have defined their lives – they want better connections and friendships, supportive romantic relationships, paid sick and family leave to support their roles as caregivers, and opportunities to work and thrive.
And men are ready to be allies for gender equality, and can clearly see their stake in it. In a survey conducted by Equimundo in 2023, nearly two-thirds (65%) of men in the US thought that abortion should be legal in most or all cases, an opinion held at the highest rates by younger men. Now more than ever, men need gender equality, and gender equality needs men. It’s time to double down on our efforts to build a more just, equitable society for all.
Because of this, this year we must be louder and bolder than ever before, because this moment uniquely calls for it. At Equimundo, with support from the Caring Masculinity Fund, we are working with partners across sectors to better understand young men’s lives and reach them where they’re at – partnering with online community moderators, content creators, social media platforms, and game developers. We are also strengthening our support of women-led, women’s rights organizations, whose existence is threatened like never before and yet it is needed now more than ever.
Finally, we are not letting the corporate world off the hook. As some companies are retreating from their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), quietly cutting staff and rolling back gender-equity initiatives, we know that others are doubling down – reaffirming that workplaces where all employees thrive are not just good for business but essential for a just and sustainable future. At the center of this moment is a simple but powerful truth: Men are essential to driving gender equality in the workplace, and male allyship is not just a social responsibility – it’s a business necessity that drives performance, innovation, and workplace culture.
That’s why Equimundo, together with the UN Global Compact, is proud to launch Mainstreaming Male Allyship: An Action Guide for Business, a 16-module open-source e-learning course now available on the UN Global Compact Academy platform. This guide equips companies with the institutional tools to make male allyship a core part of workplace culture, helping men at all levels take tangible steps to support women’s advancement, challenge bias, and foster gender-equitable workplaces. The strongest companies are those where men use their influence to advocate for their colleagues, build cultures of care and respect, and recognize that gender equality is not a threat but a business advantage.
At a time when some are calling for a return to outdated, rigid ideas of masculinity in the workplace, we need to be clear: The strongest leaders are those who champion fairness, inclusion, and equity—not those who cling to dominance and exclusion.
Male allyship is not about men ‘losing’—it’s about men doing what’s best for their companies, their colleagues, their communities, and themselves. When men step up as allies, workplaces and societies become more innovative, more productive, and more caring. And that’s the kind of workplace—and world—we should all be working toward.
