Call for Input: MenEngage members are invited to contribute to UN gender stereotypes recommendations (GR41)

Your voice, input, and experiences can help ensure that harmful gender norms and rigid patriarchal ideas of masculinity are fully recognized and effectively addressed in the key global agreement on ending violence and discrimination against women and girls.

MenEngage Alliance believes that gender equality cannot be achieved unless stereotypes about both women and men are addressed together. As long as patriarchal ideas about what it means to ​“be a man” or ​“be a woman” remain unchallenged, stereotypes about women will continue to be reproduced. Patriarchal gender norms shape how people behave, limit freedoms, and create hierarchies in which men hold power over others. This, in turn, normalises violence, discrimination, domination, and lack of accountability, with harmful impacts on women, girls, LGBTQI+ people, children, the environment, and men who do not conform to rigid masculine norms.

This understanding lies at the heart of our mission and has been shaping the work of the Alliance and its members across more than 1,000 groups in around 90 countries. It inspires collective action to challenge harmful gender norms and transform patriarchal masculinities in communities worldwide.

Our work challenges gender stereotypes by engaging men and boys as active allies in promoting equality. We tackle patriarchal masculinities, addressing the root causes of discrimination, not just its effects. We also challenge traditional beliefs that assume ​“women are one way and men are another.” Gender identity exists on a spectrum, but stereotypes confine people to rigid categories.

We work with men and boys to question and change their beliefs, behaviors, and ideas of masculinity, while supporting our members to promote gender-equitable norms in their communities. By addressing the systems that sustain patriarchy, our work goes beyond individual change; it seeks to create systematic change at both societal and institutional levels.

This is why we want to call on MenEngage members to be involved in this important upcoming UN process by the CEDAW Committee, the drafting of General Recommendation 41 on Gender Stereotypes. While the draft recommendation highlights the impact on women, it does not fully address how rigid ideas of masculinity affect men and boys, and in turn women and girls and gender non-conforming people, an area central to our work. Member engagement is essential to highlight and address this gap.

1. But wait…what is CEDAW? 

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is often described as an international bill of rights for women. Consisting of 30 articles, it provides a comprehensive framework for advancing gender equality and holds governments accountable for ending discrimination against women.

In its preamble, CEDAW openly acknowledges that extensive discrimination against women continues to exist worldwide and recognizes that such discrimination violates the principles of equality and respect for human dignity. The Convention focuses specifically on discrimination based on sex and gender.

Article 1 provides a clear definition, stating that discrimination against women includes any distinction, exclusion, or restriction made on the basis of sex that limits or denies women the recognition, or exercise of their human rights and fundamental freedoms

2. And what is the purpose of these General Recommendations (GRs)?

General Recommendations are guidelines issued by the CEDAW Committee. They help countries understand how to put the CEDAW Convention into practice and what actions they should take to end discrimination against women.

General Recommendations are guidelines issued by the CEDAW Committee. They explain how governments should apply the CEDAW Convention in practice and what actions they must take to end discrimination against women. These recommendations also help the Committee monitor countries and hold them accountable for their commitments.

To date, the Committee has adopted 40 General Recommendations. These recommendations address both specific articles of the Convention and broader thematic issues that affect women’s rights. Over the years, they have covered important topics such as violence against women (GR 19 and GR 35), access to justice (GR 33), harmful practices (GR 31), and the rights of Indigenous women and girls (GR 39), among many others.

3. Ok, I’m interested. How do I engage with GR41? 

GR41 is a historic opportunity because it is the first time the CEDAW Committee is developing a General Recommendation that focuses specifically on gender stereotypes. While previous General Recommendations addressed important issues such as violence, access to justice, and harmful practices, they did not examine gender stereotypes as a root cause of discrimination in such a direct and comprehensive way.

This is an opportunity to ensure that your experiences, evidence, and expertise on masculinities and gender stereotypes inform an authoritative UN human rights standard that will guide States’ actions. By participating in this strategizing session, you can help ensure GR41 reflects how rigid masculine and patriarchal gender norms affect everyone.