When Dan Wald, 24, began his matriculation at Ithaca College, he wasn’t thinking much about women’s issues. But then the biochemistry major from greater Boston began to hear stories about sexual assault from friends and something clicked.
His big realization was that he should work with campus groups on sexual assault prevention not in spite of the fact that he is a guy, but precisely because he is one. Wald spent the rest of college bringing men in on the discussion of sexual violence and harassment and today he sits on the board of Students Active for Ending Rape.
“My whole life, rape had been framed as something you talk to your daughters about, and not your sons, but it is a men’s issue too,” Wald said.
After decades of feminism that was by women and for women, more and more men, like Wald, are coming around to the idea that men and feminism might just be good for one another.
Today there are more men than ever immersed in women’s issues and fighting for gender equality. They are taking women’s studies classes, contributing to feminist publications, attending conferences dedicated to men working on women’s issues, and advocating against sexual violence and for reproductive choice. And they are working with women who are realizing that gender equality might be better achieved with the participation of both sexes.
Any advocacy or lobby movement should surely be driven by the demographic they are advocating for. The majority of the leadership should also be of that demographic. So, yes for the women’s movement. The dominant voice should be that of women and their concerns. The leadership should certainly be overwhelmingly women. Men should be in the background. The women’s movement is about protecting and advancing the rights of women. Ensuring the rights of women are equal (or as many suspect superior) to that of men. The women’s movement is not however, about protecting the rights of men. If the movement… Read more »
Fundamentalism is funny. That’s why the title question is sort of silly. Who cares if men do or don’t belong in something that calls itself “the women’s movement,” whatever that is? There’s no trademark or copyright on “women’s movement.” If you find a group to be too exclusionary or not exclusionary enough, make your own group and call it the “real movement.” That’s what a lot of reform organizations spend their time doing anyway, arguing over who is the true believer and who’s the heretic. Purity gets in the way of practicality. You could keep your group “members only” in… Read more »
That’s up to the women’s movement to decide. I tried that before and got my answer loud and clear.
If they want me they have to take all of me. I’m not going to let them cherry pick over my contributions only looking for things they agree with and then tossing me in the closet when I mess around and say something they don’t agree with. I don’t expect to be a leading voice but I’m not going to be a token guy that they can parade around as “proof” that they don’t hate men.
if men want to advocate for women, they can join up and support feminism. If they want to support animals, they can join the SPCA. And if they want to support racism, they can join the Klan.
I have no issue with men joining any advocacy group they prefer. That doesn’t mean I automatically agree with the goals of those groups, though.
Yeah, except in practice it’s often not so simple. I support women’s health. Does that mean I get to join a women’s only health club? No indeed.
Of course men should be involved in the movement and shake up the status quo…otherwise, we are all in danger of adhering to rigid stereotypes and never moving forward or expanding our definitions of ourselves….If we never evolve and remain static, then we are in danger of living cardboard cutout lives and never becoming fully realized…. My ex had two daughters whom he loved very much but I don’t think he allowed himself to get too close to them which I think robbed all of them in the end…If my ex was ever involved in campus groups to educate against… Read more »
“Are men and women really all that different?”
Unfortunately what you’ve done is taken your ex’s character and projected it onto all men.
Your ex was abusive. Here, I’ll take the most abusive woman I know and project her character on all women.
All women want to gang rape young men and attempt to murder their (half their age) husbands with shot guns.
Ridiculous isn’t it?
I disagree. I think it’s great if men get involved in women’s movements as long as they are fighting for equality. why are you pushing men away who want to help? Isnt it a good thing that they want to try and understand?
The answer to the question is “no, men do not belong in the Women’s Movement.” It is for women only that is why it is called women’s movement. There is no place for men in it.
There is definitely space for men in the women’s movement. I know many wonderful feminist men, and I would say that not only do they belong, they are necessary to the movement. You cannot work toward equality for men or women while excluding one or the other from the conversation. We’re a collective body of people and it is collectively that we can work toward the social change that is so much needed.
Off course, women can make space in the movement for men if they can keep saying “yes madam” all the time. What staked does a man has in Women’s movement?? Moreover, this movement has nothing to do with equality, but getting all goodies for women at the cost of men.
That’s your perception of the movement. That is not what the movement stands for. Feminism is just as much about equality for men as it is about equality for women. I’m not saying there aren’t feminists out there who aren’t egalitarian, because posters on this website have repeatedly let me know they exist. I’m sure they do. It’s not even remotely close to my experience of feminism, however, and I have a large, and ever-expanding, circle of feminist friends, acquaintances, and allies. And men in feminism or the women’s movement aren’t expected to say ‘yes madam’. Firstly, I would find… Read more »
Actions speak louder than word. Feminism has never done anything positive for men. You can keep chanting feminism is about equality, but the ground reality is something different. BTW, I also have a circle of female friends who despise “feminism” as much as another f-word and they are not from Middle East but from Western countries. I hope you remember me posting on your opinion piece about feminism for all on GMP “What feminism has ever done for men,” to which I got no reply just a recommendation to read a book by Michael Kaufman. Do you have another reading… Read more »
Feminism has pushed forwards public awareness and discussion of child molestation and sexual abuse, which I believe, as a survivor, has done something positive for this man.
Sex crimes were punishable offenses much before feminism did anything about it.
Laws against sex crimes didn’t prevent me from being molested, nor did legal punishments lessen the damage done to me. Therapy and writings about sexual abuse, which have benefited greatly from feminist work on the subject, have helped me heal to some extent.
So do you think psychotherapy was invented by feminists.
Of course not. I’m saying some of them have done essential work on the problem.
So IDK if a feminist cooks and feeds her boys, you would count it in the positive contribution of feminism to men’s welfare?
Don’t be ridiculous. Feminism wasn’t a major factor in the movement to get women to feed their children, as it has been in addressing sexual abuse, which is an issue that affects more men than are willing to admit it. If you find that hard to understand, I don’t know why.
To be a feminist you have to see everything through a gender lens. The sexual abuse which feminist therapist were addressing was mainly father-daughter incest. Any abuse by women on male would be laughed at. Don’t be so eager to give feminists any credit too early.
I’m talking about male on male sexual abuse, and none of the feminists I know personally have laughed at me about it but have been very supportive.
Obviously you are not a father of daughters. And that pretty much takes you out of the conversation when it comes to men’s interests in women’s issues.
As for men’s place in the women’s movenet, your “Yes, madam” comment is dead on the money. Judging from the comments and behavior of male feminists, there seems to be no equal place for men in the women’s movement.
There’s no room for women in the women’s movement either. Nobody should be in it.