Men in politics as agents of gender equitable change

Men in politics as agents of gender equitable change was a one-year research project that examined why men in politics decide to support gender equality, how they explain and frame their work in this area, and how their actions are perceived by women politicians, activists and students. Carried out between 2022 and 2023, the project responded to calls from some feminists for a better understanding of how more men can be motivated to take an active role in addressing gender inequalities, while being mindful of the risk of the appropriation of feminist principles to maintain patriarchal inequalities and intersecting systems of oppression.

The project’s novel contribution is its in-depth, qualitative and cross-country analysis of gender norms related to the decisions of men politicians to support gender equality in the, so-called, Global South.

The study draws on key informant interviews and focus group discussions with politicians, activists and university students, as key stakeholders in changing norms about political masculinities and political representation in Colombia, Liberia and Malaysia.

Below you will find in-depth country reports for each of the focus nations, as well as a cross-country analysis report.