Advocacy

Our advocacy efforts aim to promote the uptake of accountable, feminist-informed, human rights based, and gender transformative policies on engaging men and boys in women’s rights and gender justice for all. We strive to put women, girls, LGBTQI people, and the most marginalized communities at the center of our advocacy efforts.

We believe organizations working with men as agents of change to transform patriarchal masculinities have a role to play in supporting a feminist-informed policy agenda.

We advocate for governments and intergovernmental bodies to create policies that are inclusive of engaging men and boys. Where targeted policies related to transforming masculinities do exist, many lack a clear political understanding on the roles and responsibilities of men and boys in dismantling patriarchy. Not only can such policies be ineffective, they risk being counterproductive – and even harmful – to the realization of the rights of all women and girls.

We firmly call for such policies to be developed in partnership with feminist women’s rights and social justice actors and movements. We believe any influence of MenEngage Alliance or its members in policy spaces should be used as a supporting voice, and to advocate for inclusion of key feminist asks in resolutions on engaging men and boys.

We strive to encourage ongoing critical reflection – and openness to criticism – on what it means for those working with men and boys to have a voice in these policy spaces.

Explore Advocacy resources for gender-transformative work with men and boys.

We work at different levels, including the UN, to add our voices in support of advocacy and campaigning for gender justice, women’s rights, and LGBTQI rights.

Many MenEngage Alliance members are involved in supporting policy advocacy and in speaking out against the manifestations of patriarchal political cultures in their societies.

The Global Advocacy Working Group of MenEngage Alliance brings together members from across our regional networks to support and guide our advocacy efforts. Several of the regional MenEngage networks have regional Advocacy Working Groups working for positive policy change in their relevant regional policy spaces.

MenEngage Alliance has worked with policy and decision makers in UN agencies and governments, delivered political statements at global policy making events, and provided concrete policy recommendations, building on the work of members. We have supported the inclusion of engaging men and boys in official policy agreements within UN policy spaces and processes, including:

  • The annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
  • Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development (SDGs)
  • Human Right Council Resolutions.

Advocating in your country or region

Successful advocacy means working at different levels, from local government to the UN. Many governments and global policy agreements already have policies in place to encourage the inclusion of men, boys, and masculinities in gender equality efforts. It is important that such policies are carefully considered in close collaboration with women’s rights and LGBTQI rights advocates.

Calling on policy makers in your context to make sure policies are appropriately informed by the latest thinking is one way you can contribute to accountable advocacy efforts.

Explore advocacy positions on a range of issues, including:

Read the latest Advocacy news from MenEngage Alliance