There has been a strategic shift in emphasis over the past decade from women's issues to gender equality issues, whereby the focus has moved from women exclusively to both men and women and mutually beneficial social and economic development. Gender mainstreaming, as a strategy for achieving gender equality, cannot work without the support of men.

Changing social values and the increasing gender awareness of younger men have resulted in stronger partnerships between men and women on gender equality. Parliamentarians of both sexes increasingly accept that men need to participate in parliamentary activities aimed at gender equality. Among other things, this acceptance comes as a result of changing social attitudes: voters and citizens understand that women can no longer be excluded from the political sphere.

“Among the men parliamentarians, even if with some of our colleagues it starts with sympathetic support, it’s turning into belief in these issues, more than just being sympathetic. It’s a belief that this is how it should be.” Man parliamentarian, Jordan

While some men require no prompting at all, women parliamentarians are using a combination of persistence and public activities to encourage men to participate in changing social attitudes to gender roles and stereotypes.

Strategies to involve men

Interviews with parliamentarians conducted as part of the global survey Gender-sensitive parliaments revealed a number of strategies for encouraging men to address gender equality issues. Men, as they noted themselves, are often supportive of legislative initiatives by women. Men have also introduced or co-sponsored gender equality legislation on their own.

In many instances, men have gone the extra mile by chairing or participating in gender equality bodies within parliament, thus taking responsibility for the gender equality agenda. Men, for example, have chaired the Belgian Commission on Gender Equality and Viet Nam’s Sub-Committee on Gender, under the National Assembly’s Committee on Social Affairs. Changes can also be made to parliament’s Standing Orders to require male and female membership of all parliamentary committees – including those on gender equality – so as to ensure a gender perspective (which, by definition, includes the views of men) on all issues addressed by parliament.

Women have invited men to participate in public activities and outreach, including public consultations or hearings or activities to mark International Women’s Day. Men have joined delegations to the annual sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women, and have been included in field visits to sites of manifest discrimination. The idea is for men to learn from such first-hand experience and from talking directly with persons who face discrimination. Their subsequent support has almost always been assured.

For the most part, men respondents to the IPU’s questionnaire described their efforts to achieving gender equality in terms of supporting – and speaking on – bills presented in that area. In some cases, however, they also cited work to promote greater women’s participation in parliamentary boards or committees, or question the government on gender equality matters. Others have supported innovative initiatives to support gender mainstreaming in parliament’s work.

“First of all, I voted for the law on equal rights and opportunities (Law 648), and afterwards brought an administrative motion for the establishment of a gender technical team, which provides technical advice on drafting national laws that have a gender perspective with a view to complying with the international treaties to which Nicaragua has subscribed.” Man Parliamentarian, Nicaragua

Ultimately, men need to live up to their responsibilities with respect to gender equality. Entrenching gender equality principles is becoming increasingly mandatory by law, and States are thereby bound to ensure that men and women promote and achieve gender equality together.