ENgAgiNg MEN iN gENdEr iNiTiATivEs - Catalyst

Figure 1Self-Reported Importance of Achieving Gender Equality, by Respondents’ Awareness of Gender Bias100%97%“Achieving genderequality for womenand men is animportant socialissue to me.”DisagreeNeutralAgreePercentage ofRespondents80%60%40%20%23%74%0%3% 2% 2%Low awarenessHigh awarenessTHREE FACTORS PREDICT MEN’S AWARENESS OF GENDER BIAS 34Defiance of Masculine NormsDefiance of somemasculine normsis linked toHigher awarenessof gender biasThe more men dared to defy some masculinenorms 35 the higher their awareness of genderbias. Specifically, men with high awareness ofbias tended to reject what is arguably the cardinalrule of masculinity—“avoid all things feminine”—inthat they were more likely than men with lowerawareness to express admiration for women coworkers.36 Men with higher awareness of bias werealso more likely to indicate a strong concern forand devotion to helping others. 37 Such values standin contrast to the masculine norm, “be a winner,”which emphasizes putting personal interests overthose of others. 38 Finally, the more men were awareof gender disparities, the less likely they were to feela strong sense of camaraderie with male peers atwork. 39 Given that male camaraderie is often rootedin the mutual observance of masculine norms, 40 thisfinding is also consistent with the notion that amongmen with high awareness of gender bias therewas a marked tendency to break from traditionalmasculine conventions.CATALYST VIEWPOINTWhen men experience gender norms as arestrictive barrier in their own lives, they mightbe more apt to view these norms as a barrier forwomen, too. Some interviewees described pivotalexperiences where they suffered unfair penalties forbreaking with masculine norms as turning pointsthat prompted them to become more engagedadvocates for change. In the following quotation,one interviewee describes such a turning point:I...had a small group that I was supervising, andwe had no childcare for our young kid. My wifeand I decided to work part-time both of us….6 | Engaging Men in Gender Initiatives