Men in politics as agents of gender equitable change: gender norms and political masculinities

Key findings
• Men in politics have the potential to be agents of change for gender equality. Yet most gender equality
supporters in the three case study countries (Colombia, Liberia and Malaysia) refuse the feminist label
and describe themselves as allies, advocates or supporters of feminism, gender equality and women.
• Understanding their reasons for refusing to identify as feminists can shine a light on how feminist
civil society can work to achieve gender equality at a time of anti-gender and anti-feminist politics.
• The refusal of men politicians to adopt a feminist label is a calculation that considers three
interconnected factors:
– personal: their convictions, motivations, personal relationships and experiences
– institutional: the costs and benefits of challenging norms in political parties, parliaments and
other institutions that are perpetuated by their male peers, as well as the global pro-gender
equality normative architecture
– societal: potential electoral repercussions from citizens who either may want to defend
‘traditional’ patriarchal norms and reject gender equality, especially through debates about
westernisation and under the influence of anti-gender movements, or those who seek more
progressive politicians and might be drawn to equality discourse and policies. Another key issue that shapes the political calculations and decisions of men in politics who work on
gender equality is a focus on addressing women’s issues rather than masculinities, whether in politics
or across society at large. Most of their work on gender equality is focused on women, with only
limited consideration of masculinities.
• As a result of these calculations, the way in which men politicians enact their allyship and support
is diverse – from being silent sympathisers to proactive developers of their own gender equality
initiatives. While their political parties may differ, their activism is influenced by the extent of the
alignment of their party agendas with gender equality.
• Feminist activists, women politicians and young people find it hard to identify men who are feminist
politicians or those who truly care about gender equality and could have such a label applied to them.
Such pro-equality men are perceived as too few, disconnected from the feminist movements and
each other and often ‘not doing enough’. As a result, they have not changed the perceptions of politics
as masculinist and men dominated, nor have they introduced alternative political masculinities.
• As a result of the prevailing patriarchal political discourse and overall distrust of political
representatives, even men politicians who support and promote gender equality are viewed with
scepticism and suspicion, though activists and women politicians recognise them as necessary and
potentially helpful agents of pro-equality change.