How did masculinities show up in the recent human rights talks in Geneva? Five Key Takeaways from HRC62

Over the past few weeks, we have been keeping an eye on Geneva for the 62^nd session of the Human Rights Council (HRC62). This annual United Nations gathering is a key space for influencing the agenda and shaping international norms on human rights. This year, men and masculinity was a recurring theme in different spaces. Here are some of the key take-aways for those working with men and boys for gender equality. 

1. Patriarchy named as the root of gender-based violence

Each year at the Human Rights Council, an Annual Full Day Discussion is dedicated to women’s rights. This year, in the context of discussing domestic violence, the dialogue reaffirmed that patriarchal norms are the root cause of the issue. 

Speaking to the topic, Ms. Awa Dabo, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said: “[Domestic violence] reflects deeply entrenched systems of patriarchy, domination and discrimination that have oppressed women for centuries”.

This framing from a high-level, intergovernmental space on human rights is critical in sending a message to governments in how they approach the issue of domestic violence —including work with men and boys — and the need to address the root causes as well as responding to harms.

2. We need a culture shift, and we need to work with men and boys

As part of the Annual Full Day Discussion, experts on domestic and intimate partner violence were brought together to identify steps to eliminate it. Speakers such as Ms. Patsilí Toledo Vásquez, Member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, spoke to why engaging men and boys is critical to address the problem:

“Working with men and boys at all levels of society is essential in order to address domestic violence. This includes educational initiatives, community-based programmes and collaboration of traditional and religious leaders in order to try and prevent repeat offending and promote accountability.”

In the same dialogue the Mexican Ambassador, H.E. Mrs. Francisca E. Méndez Escobar, added that ​“in order to face domestic violence, we continue to work toward bringing about a cultural change where boys and men and men can be allies.” 

Members of MenEngage Alliance’s network in Mexico, Complices por la Igualdad, have been active in supporting this shift, collaborating closely with the Government of Mexico to provide technical support on how to shift gender stereotypes and norms around masculinities.

3. The manosphere is a human rights concern

A new UN report warns that AI-enabled abuse is not a speculative risk for women’s human rights; but ​“is already reshaping women’s and girls’ participation in public life.”

The report of the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls reiterates an all-too-familiar theme for those working for gender justice: that the manosphere is ​“characterized by rigid masculine norms that emphasize dominance and intersect with rising issues of social stress, depression and distrust of institutions among young men in particular.”

Speaking to this theme, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Awa Dabo, said: 

“Misogynistic content creeps into the phone of every young man in every corner in the world, feeding their grievances. In the face of unemployment, uncertainty, frustration, and solitude, toxic masculinity offers women and girls as convenient scapegoats for society’s ills.”

Watch the clip on our Instagram page.

4. Men are still seen as ​‘natural’ leaders

Women’s rights talks at HRC62 made a clear call: We must shift notions of leadership which are linked to traits coded ​‘masculine’, and dismantle the idea that the capacity to lead is inherently masculine. 

Amplifying this issue, Peggy Hicks, Director, Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division, said: 

“Research shows that even today, a significant share of people still believe that men simply make better leaders. Gender bias — often implicit, often unspoken — continues to define expectations of what a leader should look like, and how leaders should act.

“Changing laws can be achieved through policy. Changing mindset requires sustained effort, education, and collective reflection. This transformation will not happen by default, it demands deliberate action to shift perceptions, to challenge stereotypes and to ensure that women are not only allowed to lead, but trusted to lead”. See the intervention on our Instagram Reel here.

As MenEngage Alliance, we have been working to advance the initiative Working with Men in Positions of Power, which seeks to work alongside male political leaders to transform themselves and their institutions to make way for more diversity in leadership, including women and people of all genders, races, ethnicities and other marginalized groups.

5. Gender stereotypes need addressing in the care agenda

MenEnage Alliance joined partners in an Oral Statement calling for an agenda to dismantle gender stereotypes, rather than reinforce them.

Delivered on behalf of a coalition of feminist partners, the Oral Statement urged that simply ​“valuing mothers” more reinforces the harmful stereotype that unpaid care is ​“women’s work”. Together, we called for policies that ​“aim to more equitably distribute and value care and support work”. 

Alongside our partners, we contributed insights in the Oral Statement that called for ​“engaging men and boys to take up their fair share of unpaid care and household work, and addressing the root causes of gender stereotypes, including addressing stereotypes around patriarchal masculinities which continue to sustain these discriminatory beliefs.”

The bigger picture: Why UN mechanisms matter

High-level, multilateral discussions continue to speak up for the need to address the root causes of gender based violence and discrimination; the unequal norms, systems and structures on which society is built. Transforming patriarchal masculinities is increasingly recognised as a core strategy in this work, and as part of the international human rights agenda in general. 

MenEngage Alliance continues to advocate for this work to engage men and boys to be accountable, including through its support of the Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls (WGDAWG) in its report, Men’s Accountability for Gender Equality.

With anti-gender and anti-rights actors having a strong foothold in multilateral spaces like the United Nations, it continues to be critical that independent voices are able to push forward gender equality agendas and policies. Progressive language and agreements from these spaces strengthen the political platform for human rights and gender justice advocates around the world.

Click here to learn more about our collective advocacy. 

Click here to explore publications on countering backlash against women’s rights, democracy and climate justice.