Field-building

In 2003 a group of experts and civil society organisations with an interest in work on men and masculinities within gender equality came together with the vision to create a space to connect, exchange lessons and promising practices, and facilitate collaborations. Similar connections continued to happen at local, country and regional levels for years, with more people and organisations learning and getting associated with the Alliance.

Civil society organisations from eighty countries convened in Rio de Janeiro for the first MenEngage Global Symposium. With the theme of Engaging Men and Boys on Achieving Gender Equality, the meeting took place from March 29 – April 3, 2009. It resulted in the collective development of the Rio Declaration and Call to Action.

More than 1,200 people gathered in Delhi, India, in 2014 for the largest gathering to date of MenEngage Alliance. The 2nd MenEngage Global Symposium proved to be a milestone for our networks. It helped set a benchmark and ways forward for gender-transformative work with boys and men. The symposium culminated in the Delhi Declaration and Call to Action. It is a foundation of many of the values and principles that are considered vital to initiatives to engage men and boys in gender equality, LGBTQI rights, and social justice for all.