Article here. Excerpt:

'United Way of North Central Massachusetts recently awarded $90,000 in grants to eight local agencies for youth mental and behavioral health initiatives. The grants are part of a new area of work that seeks to address challenges faced by young people arising from increased isolation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

One pilot program funded from the grants is Males Advocating Change (MAC), a program that will engage middle school, high school and college-aged men to address male violence, particularly sexual and dating violence against women, based out of Pathways for Change, Inc, of Worcester.

Article here. Excerpt:

'Lately, I’ve noticed, and I say this as a feminist, the term ‘toxic masculinity’ has simply come to replace ‘masculinity’ in a pat and unhelpful way.

Given how new and fragile the relative gains women have made it feels like heresy to say that you may be concerned about boys. Because as a woman it’s hard not to suspect that tackling any ‘crisis in masculinity’ would necessarily involve undermining female progress but addressing women’s ongoing patriarchal reduction must involve considering men. It’s basic logic.

According to a recent American Scientific article, the so-called crisis in masculinity has been around for about 300 years. Another writer opines that any sociological change provokes ‘elite men’ into imagining a crisis of masculinity which sounds plausible.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'I remember the feeling of bewilderment the first time my older sister told me how tightly she grips her keys in her pocket if she is walking alone in the dark. Bewilderment, because as men we just don’t have to think that way.

And the reason for that? It is pretty simple: men have made our communities feel far too unsafe for far too many women. As first minister of Scotland – but more importantly as a father of two girls – this is not a situation I am prepared to simply accept.

Let’s be clear, this is not a situation unique to Scotland or the UK – women and girls the world over are suffering due to the actions of men. Barely a week goes by without a distressing report in the newspapers or on our television screens about a woman being the victim of harassment, stalking, abuse, violence, rape or murder.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Those of us who were around in the 1940s and 50s, remember a wife having dinner ready when her husband returned home from work. One television program was even named, “Father Knows Best.” Back then, men were revered, respected and honored for being the breadwinner and the leader of the family.

But that dramatically changed once feminism emerged. The moment that women felt empowered, men began to take a back seat, often being relegated to equal or lesser on the family chain. One could just as easily make the case that feminism became toxic by seeking to devalue men in a way that made them feel irrelevant and unnecessary.

Article here. Excerpt:

'Studies have repeatedly shown that masculinity can be dangerously fragile.

For instance, Harvard conducted a series of studies of men and women, looking at how failing to live up to masculine and feminine stereotypes impacted their work. They found that men who experienced threats to their masculine stereotypes were more likely to engage in harmful behavior such as withholding help, mistreating coworkers, stealing company property, and lying for their own benefit. While women who experienced threats to their femininity were not happy about it, they were unlikely to act out in harmful behavior.
...
Another critical element of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, can play a crucial role in reducing male toxicity. By promoting self-reflection and introspection, emotional intelligence encourages men to recognize and confront their own biases, privileges, and harmful attitudes. It allows them to understand the impact of their actions on others and promotes personal growth.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Men in positions of power must take the lead in tackling toxic masculinity, which is a root cause of gender-based abuse, Scotland’s first minister has said.

Writing for the Guardian, Humza Yousaf said: “It is simply not good enough to say ‘it is not all men’ and wash our hands of the problem we have collectively created; every single man can, and should, play his role in making change.”

Yousaf said his growing awareness had caused him to reflect on his own behaviour. “Without doubt, in my younger years I will have told a misogynistic joke at the expense of women, or not challenged behaviour that was demeaning to women.”

He said becoming a father to two daughters, as well as witnessing global regression in women’s rights, for example on abortion in the US and education in Afghanistan, had made him determined to use his position to “root out and tackle the toxic masculinity and male self-entitlement that leads to violence, harassment, misogyny and abuse against women”.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Craftsman Plumbing introduces No Mansplaining Guarantee, ensuring respectful service for all clients. Empowers women in plumbing, offers expertise, quality service, and transparent pricing.

Craftsman Plumbing, a leading plumbing company known for its exceptional customer service and expertise, is proud to announce its groundbreaking No Mansplaining Guarantee and introduce their new CFOs, - Chief Feline Officers. In an industry where customers often face condescension and patronizing behavior, Craftsman Plumbing stands firmly against such practices and is committed to providing an inclusive and respectful experience to all clients. With this innovative initiative, Craftsman Plumbing aims to revolutionize the plumbing industry by promoting equality, respect, and top-notch service.

Article here. Excerpt:

'Researchers heard from those who said NSW's Sexual Assault Reporting Option (SARO) also had helped when they had been unable to report their assaults to police.

The SARO is an online form that victims can complete if they do not want to speak directly to police but want them to know they have been assaulted.

The process does not constitute a complaint or trigger an investigation, but can be kept on record if the alleged perpetrator is accused of other offences.

But support during the process is still essential, according to those who were interviewed.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'It seems to be that there is an agenda behind the whole claim of masculinity being toxic. Ironically, the too-tough and too-strong accusation has conveniently turned into a justification to shame men for displaying the personalities that women were told they needed to adopt in order to succeed in the business world. But now, there is a reversal. Women can possess them, but men are expected to change into a softer and more delicate version of themselves. Could it be that it’s a clever way for women to have the more competitive edge? Just a thought.
...

While recently on vacation, I heard a clip from Jordan Peterson saying that men are the least encouraged species on the planet. Constantly criticized for not doing the right thing, they suffer from a complete lack of praise and support. I know I’ve certainly been guilty of that, and when I heard it, it made me realize that I had to do better.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Just because young men aren’t currently trending conservative doesn’t mean they won’t in the future, though. Some people see gender politics as a zero-sum proposition — an agenda advocating for one side invariably hinders the other. It’s conceivable that a political party or agenda with a growing popularity among young women might lead some young men to believe it’s not for them. There’s growing belief among young men that whatever past advantages men had in American society are fast disappearing. Nearly 4 in 10 young men say women have an easier time than men getting ahead in American society today, and even more young men (45%) say there is at least some discrimination against men in American society. Roughly half as many young women believe this to be true, and even older men are less likely to agree.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Marseille has launched anti-sexism beach patrols that allow women to flag if they are being harassed on a free phone app.

Women on beaches around the city can use Safer Plage, which presents them with three options: “I’m being bothered”, “I’m being harassed” or “I’m in danger”.

A pair of beach mediators is then dispatched to the trouble spot – one to reassure the woman, the other to tackle the harasser.

The app, created by several charities, was first tested at music festivals and Marseille’s Prado beach last year. After proving to be a success – the beach version was downloaded 1,346 times – it has been extended to four other beaches in the southern port city: Pointe-Rouge, Bonneveine, Les Catalans and Corbières.

The local council has spent €116,000 (£100,000) to fund the service and a local poster campaign.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'New research sheds light on biased perceptions of sexist attitudes in intimate heterosexual relationships. The study, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, found that women tend to overestimate their partners’ hostile sexism while underestimating benevolent sexism. Conversely, men tend to underestimate their partners’ hostile sexism and overestimate benevolent sexism.

Prior research has mainly focused on individuals’ own sexist attitudes or perceptions of strangers’ sexist attitudes. However, understanding how individuals perceive their intimate partners’ sexist attitudes could have significant consequences for relationship dynamics and overall satisfaction.

“Sexist attitudes have really important implications for intimate relationships between men and women,” explained study authors Nina Waddell, a PhD candidate, and Nickola Overall, the principal investigator at the REACH Lab at The University of Auckland.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'While women continue to make remarkable strides in education, the economic prospects for men without a college degree have altogether collapsed. And because two-thirds of men older than 25 lack a college degree, the consequences are deep and structural.

Research strongly correlates the relationship between being raised in a two-parent household and higher educational attainment later in life. Children from two-parent families are twice as likely to graduate high school and attend and graduate college compared with those from single-parent families.

Parental education levels also matter. Children with two college-educated parents are nearly three times as likely to get a college degree compared with those whose parents lack college experience. If we focus just on single-parent homes, data indicates a significant gender gap in bachelor’s degree attainment rates between boys and girls from single-parent households.

Article here. Excerpt:

'White men - derided as "useless white male pilots" - who failed in a bid to join the Royal Air Force are furious no one has been sanctioned over a botched diversity drive that broke equality legislation, and say they want their rejected applications reviewed.

Defence sources similarly expressed dismay at the lack of accountability among the RAF top brass, comparing it unfavourably with how the Army deals with soldiers who get drunk.

It can be revealed that members of a British battle group on a six-month deployment to Estonia this year have been fined a total of nearly £10,000 for alcohol-related misdemeanours - such as urinating in public, breaching a two-pint drinking limit and breaking curfew.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'The husband of a New York City oncologist who fatally shot her 4-month-old daughter before turning the gun on herself was absolutely not involved in the horrible tragedy despite rumors swirling on social media, a New York State Trooper insisted on Tuesday.

Steven Nevel, a public information officer, laid to rest any online rumors that heartbroken husband and father Tim Talty had any involvement in the deaths of his 40-year-old wife Dr. Krystal Cascetta and their baby.

“The trolls on social media are dragging the husband through the mud,” Nevel told Today.com. “But I can tell you 100% unequivocally, without a doubt, that he did not do this.”

The officer reiterated that Talty — a 37-year-old entrepreneur who owns a protein bar company named after himself — was not at the couple’s $1 million home in Somers at the time of the shootings on Saturday.'