Connectedness and Allyship

Background

We face a global two-part problem. First, many young men around the world are socially isolated, and feel a sense of economic and social precarity. Second, men who perceive this sense of confusion and precarity are more likely to oppose gender equality.  Equimundo’s research has found both a roll back on hard-won gains in gender equality and social justice, At the same time there is growing backlash against gender equality. 

Young men’s pushback on gender equality is deeply intertwined with a broader “crisis of connection” among men, characterized by fragile relationships and a sense of disconnection. Many men fear losing traditional power, privilege, and purpose in a rapidly changing world, leaving them uncertain about their roles and how to contribute meaningfully to gender equality. The State of American Men 2023 report reveals that two-thirds of young men feel “no one really knows” them, highlighting the vulnerability of their connections. This crisis is compounded by the lack of consensus on what it means to be a “good man” or how to navigate modern masculinity. Globally, many men still feel constrained by the “Man Box”—a rigid construct of cultural norms that promotes extreme self-sufficiency, toughness, and dominance. Our Man Box research has shown that adhering to these outdated notions of manhood harms not only men’s own health and well-being but also that of their partners, families, and communities.

Our work on social connection and male allyship focuses on fostering supportive peer groups and community networks that help men see their stake in gender equality while also improving their social and emotional lives.  Achieving full equality and human rights for women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals requires intentional efforts to engage men, as their commitment to equality cannot be assumed. By meeting men where they are—in the spaces they work, play, and learn—we are creating digital and in-person pathways to help men and boys embrace identities rooted in care, emotional connection, and collaboration, benefiting everyone.

Our approaches

Measuring men’s beliefs and attitudes toward gender equality

From 2008-2022, Equimundo led the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), the largest multi-country survey to date on men’s attitudes and practices related to gender equality, norms about manhood and the impact of these norms on men’s own lives and those around them. Those results showed that around the world young men are either moving backwards or stuck in rigid ideas about manhood.  

With over 20 years of global research experience, Equimundo seeks to build a survey and use evidence to inform change at national and global level. Known as the Man-i-fest Initiative, our goal will be to contribute evidence and change the narrative on what drives men’s increasingly polarizing, violent, and socially isolating behaviors and attitudes, as well as what are the protective factors that support men’s connection, allyship, and pro-social behaviors and attitudes. 

The initiative will explore key themes, including: modern understandings of manhood; purpose, connection, and care; digital lives; men’s mental health and well-being; intolerance and authoritarianism; and anti-feminism. The country-level and multi-country reports produced will provide essential insights to inform efforts across genders to address these intersecting challenges. The “Fest” in the name refers to the plan to carry out public-facing events with key stakeholders, the general public, media, cultural influencers and policymakers about what to make of the results – and most important, what to do about them.

In 2024, we will pilot the Man-i-fest initiative in Jordan, Morocco, Uganda, Rwanda, Indonesia, and South Africa, followed by a full Man-i-fest study in 2025 in the US, UK, Brazil, and South Africa. In 2025-2026, the initiative will continue in India, South Korea, and Turkey.

The Innovation Lab for Healthy Online Masculinities

The inaugural State of American Men research report (2023) reveals concerning trends among 18-23-year-old men, particularly around isolation, mental health struggles, and restrictive worldviews. It highlights young men’s trust in online “manosphere” influencers and notes that those with more progressive views often report a weaker sense of overall life purpose compared to those with regressive perspectives. In partnership with organizations like Futures Without Violence and Puddle, a social design firm, we are continuing to build a national initiative to evaluate hybrid and virtual approaches to engage young men online in order to reduce violence, promote healthy masculinity, and create off ramps to offline interaction.

Engaging men for gender equality in the workplace

Men play a vital role in partnership with women to create a world grounded in equality, human rights, and respectful relationships. While efforts to advance gender equality in the workplace often focus on supporting women directly – which is critical – engaging men as allies is essential for holistic and sustainable solutions both for equality as well as for men’s own well-being.

To this end, Equimundo engages public and private sector entities to foster male allyship in the workplace. As a partner on the USAID Engendering Industries program, Equimundo developed a training manual for engaging men in allyship for gender equality in the workplace and supported USAID in conducting direct trainings and Training of Trainers for utility companies around the world on the importance of male engagement and how to integrate it into their gender equality strategies.

Drawing from our partnership with USAID Engendering Industries, Equimundo and Gender At Work have co-partnered since early 2023 to study the field of male allyship, a DEI practice which leverages participatory workshops, trainings and awareness raising to bring men into greater understanding of workplace gender inequality, particularly the dominant gender norms which privilege certain men, and urge them to take action in partnership with other colleagues. The report is now in its final stages of review and production.

Equimundo has partnered with the UN Global Compact to develop an online course and action guide for companies to design and implement male allyship initiatives, which will be released in the spring of 2025. Members of the Equimundo team have hosted workshops, spoken on panels, and given presentations on the topic of workplace allyship in various settings including the US Military Northern and Southern Commands, the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit, US Embassy in Colombia, UN system gender focal points, and others.