Gender inequality hurts men and boys too. Inclusion is everyone’s fight

From men’s reluctance to seek mental help to women’s low workforce participation, harmful gender-based social norms and unequal power dynamics hurt everyone
Men and boys must go beyond being supportive allies to taking shared ownership of the cause

Lisa Moore

Published: 9:30am, 8 Mar 2024

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With an economy struggling to rebound, persistent talent shortages and a rapidly ageing population, Hong Kong needs to use every pocket of talent at its disposal. While many resources are being invested to mitigate the impact of these challenges, there is an overlooked segment of the population that could significantly contribute: women.

In Hong Kong, just 48 per cent of the local population of women participate in the workforce. This is in contrast to the 64 per cent of men in Hong Kong and mainland China’s female workforce participation rate of 61 per cent. Hong Kong’s rate is also lower than across neighbouring economies, such as South Korea at 56 per cent, Singapore at 63 per cent and Australia at 76 per cent.

Dig a little deeper and it’s unsurprising as to why. At work, gender stereotypes, female health taboos, age discrimination and biases due to women being seen as carers all affect career advancement and the ability of women in Hong Kong to find and retain work.

At home, women still face pressure from their families to shoulder most of the childcare, elderly care and household duties. In addition, a 2021 study found that more than one in three women in the city had experienced sexual violence.

These problems are not new and progress in addressing them has been limited. To accelerate change, we need to make a critical course correction: we must reframe the role of men and boys in advancing gender equality.

So far, men and boy’s involvement in gender equality efforts has largely been positioned in terms of being allies, where they are recognised for being champions of women, girls and gender-diverse individuals, and are encouraged to support equal rights.

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These efforts have generated positive results. More men are taking up an equal share of the household and caregiving responsibilities at home. At work, many men are looking at employee recruitment, retention and progression with equal rights in mind.

This seems like a winning combination. Gaining a critical mass of men as allies in gender equality to supporting the efforts of women and gender-diverse individuals should make for measurable progress to close the gender gap.

However, given that countries in East Asia and the Pacific are 189 years away from achieving gender parity, it is time to take the next step. We need to invite men and boys to take their place in the core of the movement, to become co-owners and co-creators of gender equality efforts – not just in solidarity with the women in their lives or because it’s the right thing to do, but for the fundamental reason that gender inequality also harms men and boys.

Despite holding most of the power and influence, there are many ways in which boys and men struggle against the strictures of a society that fails to foster gender equality.

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Globally, boys tend to be outperformed by girls academically. Men are less likely than women to seek mental health services and to report sexual violence or abuse, often due to gender stereotypes and the stigma around men seeking help. In Hong Kong, twice as many men as women die through suicide.

Research shows that young men in Hong Kong feel pressure to live up to what they believe is the manly ideal: being wealthy, morally upstanding with a flourishing career and the primary earner and protector. It’s a narrow ideal and in a highly competitive economy such as Hong Kong with increasingly limited social mobility, most men are unlikely to be able to meet these expectations, which suggests implications for their overall well-being.

This city, as elsewhere, also grapples with sexual violence. While people of all genders can be the victims and perpetrators, we cannot ignore the fact that men are far more likely to be perpetrators of violence against women and gender-diverse individuals as well as other men.

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This violence is a deeply ingrained structural and systemic issue rooted in harmful gender-based social norms and unequal power dynamics that hurt everyone. Understanding its origins does not excuse the act of violence. It does, however, open up a shared path to dismantle the deep-seated misogyny in our societal narrative.

Women, girls and gender-diverse individuals face myriad challenges because of their gender. These issues are not diminished by acknowledging the challenges facing men and boys. The cause is the same: gender inequality. Similarly, the solution to these problems lies with transformed, equal relations, and we can only achieve this with the help of all genders.

This is no easy task. Reflecting on our internalised biases and assumptions, and then taking action to address these is challenging, evolving work. But for the benefits of gender equality to become palpable and transformational at a societal level, we need people of all genders to model inclusive mindsets and ensure that the full spectrum of diverse voices is included in actively creating equitable opportunities and policies.

On International Women’s Day, let’s #InspireInclusion by shifting our mindsets. Men and boys must be allies to women and gender-diverse individuals in addressing gender inequality. But they are also equal counterparts. All of us, regardless of gender, share ownership of the agenda and accountability for making progress. Most importantly, we will all benefit when we achieve gender equality.

Lisa Moore is senior director of research and advocacy at The Women’s Foundation, an NGO dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in Hong Kong. See: www.twfhk.org

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