Supporting the SDGs

“The world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030. At the current rate, it will take 300 years to end child marriage (1 in 5 young women are married before their 18th birthday); It will take 286 years to close the gaps in legal protection and remove discriminatory laws, and it will take 140 years to achieve equal representation in leadership in the workplace.” This revelation is from the 2023 SDGs Report. We are not on track to “Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls,” by 2030.

The reason for this situation is simple. The world focuses on one gender, perhaps assuming the other gender is in no need of interventions. Meanwhile, the 1-in-5 underaged married women aren’t given or taken by women. The lack of interventions for men and boys sabotages the efforts made towards achieving gender equality. To be on track, the world needs to ensure measures are equally taken towards upgrading the minds and manners of men.

In many cultures and economies, men are still mostly expected to be more successful, more commanding, more imposing, more aggressive, more “in-control”, more dominating and influential, unemotional, and unafraid even in the face of utter danger. So, willy-nilly, men keep it up, upholding that charge of “be a man” that was hammered into them from infancy. In the face of crises that should cause them to pause and ponder, even consult or ask for some intervention, men go on, “being men”. This situation robs humanity of the needed balanced strength, impeding the growth and development of human relationships. Men who would have been empathetic and understanding now manifest psychopathic tendencies among themselves and, more regrettably, against women.

The world is working towards gender equality (and equity), yet the expectation just described continues, encouraging gender inequality. Following this situation, many men continue to view and treat women as less, as objects, or as acquired properties, and this treatment is still aided by some women. There is a need for more intentional work here if we must make good progress in bringing some solution to the gender issues arising from inequalities.

Masculinity issues increase daily, deteriorating the soundness of men and boys, physically, emotionally, financially, maritally, and otherwise. Society cannot keep on as though nothing is at stake except women-related issues whereas the women’s issues are “mostly perpetuated”, not by aliens, not by animals, and not by only women, but by unrefined men. Men do need emergency reorienting interventions, hence the rise of ManAnew.

We are out to help bridge the gaps, reach men and boys, and reappraise masculinity, in the light of the present human developmental strides. Masculinity is needed, just like femininity. The problem is in the misinterpretations, misrepresentations, and abusive manifestations. These can and should be attended to and we are inviting partnerships and support towards attending to the problem.