UK: Could a ‘Minister for Men and Boys’ tackle incels and toxic masculinity?

Article here. Excerpt:

'At the Conservative Party Conference this year, there was a “Case for a Minister for Men and Boys” panel event. On this panel was Dr Luke Evans, MP for Hinckley and Bosworth – a vocal advocate for positive body image whilst in Parliament. The topics discussed varied from “health, male body image and education, to suicide”.

This is not the first time that a Minister holding this portfolio has been proposed. Earlier in 2024, a petition was launched to appoint a Minister for Men and Boys to “address problems that either exclusively or disproportionately involve men”. The petition received 6,444 signatures and was ultimately closed. Former MP for Don Valley Nick Fletcher discussed the importance of having a Minister in September 2023. Various charities such as SurvivorsUK and Gender Parity UK have pressurised political parties into calling for a Minister in their manifestos.

Mental Health UK argues that ‘toxic masculinity’ promotes the idea that men should be strong, and showing vulnerability is a sign of weakness. As a result, men feel unable to express their emotions properly, and are therefore more likely to turn to drugs, alcohol, recklessness and violence. All this occurs under the backdrop of patriarchal norms that socialise men to be silent about their issues.

A Minister for Men and Boys would need to focus on challenging the patriarchy that creates the male mental health crisis. However, they would also need to address the stigma and barriers that men of minorities also face.'