15 Men Building a Gender-Equal Future

This Father’s Day, Equality Now is thrilled to recognise the contributions of men who are helping shape a gender-equal future through their work, whether that’s spoken word, lectures, a nonprofit, books and articles, or something else. Together, they are changing the narrative by promoting a positive form of masculinity and fatherhood as well as a united front against gender-based violence. We appreciate everything they’ve done and continue to do in the name of gender equality.

  • Mathew Lewis-Carter and Lawrence Price, podcast co-hosts of Secret Life of Dads, host Pints & Ponytails events in the United Kingdom during which fathers can bond while learning about hairstyling. Recently, they also hosted an event that included information on periods, saying, “Periods shouldn’t be a mum topic, they’re a parenting topic.”

 

  • Fidèle Rutayisire, Executive Director of the Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (RWAMREC), works alongside men and boys to prevent gender-based violence and encourage men’s caregiving and a healthy form of masculinity. Fidèle said, “I have seen men put down violence and pick up their children; that simple act of care can change the future of a whole generation.”

 

  • Dilip Pattubala is the Co-Founder of Uninhibited, an organisation that focuses on menstruation across ten states in India, including through education in schools and improvements to adolescent healthcare. He also co-founded the Centre for Men and Boys.

 

  • Jackson Katz is the author of Every Man, which delves into why violence against women is also a man’s issue and how men can make a difference, and the creator of the film The Man Card. He is known for his lectures on gender-based violence and has given a popular TEDx Talk on the topic. 

 

  • Humberto Carolo, Chief Executive Officer of White Ribbon Canada, uses his years of experience to help engage men and boys to counter gender-based violence. In an open letter to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women this year, he wrote, “We must call men and boys to their critical role as partners, working alongside women to honour all human rights and create a safer world.”

 

  • Tarang Chawla is the co-founder of Not One More Niki, a nonprofit working to end men’s violence against women, particularly in Australia. He is also an activist, speaking on social issues like mental health, gender equality, and masculinity. 

 

  • Bobby Barzi, founder of fodada, uses his clothing brand to celebrate father-child relationships and improve the world through fully funded women’s defense classes and an incarcerated “Dads and Me” program. He sees fatherhood as an opportunity to give back to his community and invest in future generations. 

 

  • Louis Theroux is a documentarian and author. He recently released Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere on Netflix, which explores the inner workings of the ‘manosphere’ and touches on topics like masculinity and manhood.
  • Gary Barker, Chief Executive Officer of Equimundo and co-founder of MenCare and MenEngage, helps advance gender equality by engaging men and boys. Through his work, whether that’s in shaping policy, writing books, or delivering a TEDx Talk, he has addressed topics like masculinity, fatherhood, and more. 

 

  • Sam Browne is a spoken word poet with thousands of followers. He uses his art to discuss masculinity, feminism, male friendship, and violence against women. In his poem Silly Billy, he writes, “…but when you’re at the pub/or on your xbox parties/and you think your misogyny/is all tongue in cheek/statistically/one of your boys ain’t joking.”

 

  • Alex Lloyd Hunter and George Gabriel are co-founders of The Dad Shift, a movement based in the United Kingdom dedicated to ensuring equal paternity leave. In an interview with Brené Brown, Alex said, “Society still often defines men primarily through their job and, conversely, women through family and relationships. But more and more, dads want to be present, loving, supportive caregivers to their kids too. We need space for both these things in how we think about what it means to be a man.”

 

  • Luciano Ramos, the Executive Director of Instituto Mapear, uses his voice to promote gender equality and positive masculinity and fatherhood across Brazil. His work resulted in the first report on Black fatherhood in Brazil, collaboration with the country’s education system to encourage healthy masculinity from a young age, and more. 

 

 

  • Andy Dunn is an author, advocate, and the co-founder of Bonobos. Through written articles, podcast interviews, and a clever #evolvethedefinition campaign from his time at Bonobos, he has spoken about feminism and worked to redefine masculinity.

 

  • Dillon White is a lawyer and father of four who uses his platform on TikTok and Instagram to speak honestly about raising emotionally intelligent kids, challenging gender roles, and showing up with empathy. He said, “It starts with you. You’ve got to show up and do the work if you want your kids to learn how.”

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