Unmasking the Patriarchy’s Mascot: Awareness is the first step to action

For those who don’t already know, Voices of Influence Australia has an initiative called

The Peacebuilding Dialogue

It’s incredible if we don’t say so ourselves.

The Peacebuilding Dialogue is an online event series where we aim to create safe spaces for young people to come together and listen, learn and unlearn with an open heart, mind and ears. Each Peacebuilding Dialogue is themed, so we can really delve into the crux of an issue, get real and vulnerable, and bring others along with us on that journey. 

On 15 March 2023, we held an International Women’s Day themed Peacebuilding Dialogue that we aptly titled, More Than March. We brought three incredible women together to share their experiences, their opinions on the performativity of IWD and to give advice to younger versions of themselves/young women tuning in. We wanted to emphasise the importance of valuing women's varying perspectives and addressing their issues all year long.

Gender equality is a conversation that cannot be had without the meaningful participation of men.

To this tune, we invited some men that attended this Peacebuilding Dialogue to provide a short reflection on what they heard and how it made them feel. We have featured two of these reflections below. 

I believe that the feminist movement was and is crucial in creating, maintaining and nurturing equality between men and women. Since women have had the right to vote, immense changes have taken place and more modern issues have arisen. These include but are not limited to the perception that women must appear beautiful at all times, women aren’t allowed masculine attributes such as power and that women are still faced with ongoing sexualisation by the media.

Harrison, 18

It is so refreshing, and a privilege, to be uncovering a womanly perspective in a space unencumbered by men and/or other people who are presumably identifying as mascots for the patriarchy. 

As I reflect, I see a steep road still lies between our communities and gender equality.  It seems to me, that a communal effort to properly illustrate gender equality is imperative as we educate for its rectification. Listening to our guest speakers illustrate how gender inequality appears in their life, reminds me of an ingrained ignorance that I have seemingly inherited from my experience as a cisgendered male (and potentially seven years attendance at an all boys college - gross).

I am continuously startled by the subtle and sometimes camouflaged presence of inequality in my own communities.

The more I attend dialogues like this, and the more I investigate these issues, the more I understand how prevalent inequality is and obtain a clearer understanding that is useful in our joint route to rectification (EQUALITY). 

On a similar note, the important role that men play is again reiterated to me. Men need to be proactive! If we are truly ambassadors of a gender equal society, then it is also our responsibility to support the elevation of women and their voices.

Fletcher, 24

It’s a fine line in allyship to rightly show up, but to not to make these conversations about yourself or your feelings. Men can become champions of change by getting uncomfortable, examining their own behaviours (including the way they contribute to damaging sub-cultures) and becoming active contributors to advancing gender equality. A large part of this effort involves active listening - listening to women and their needs and experiences.

Gender inequality is largely about bias that is rooted deeply in our societal culture. Men should ask:

• What is our bias?

• How is this bias damaging?

• How might this bias affect the lives of others?

• What is my part in this story and in this patriarchal world in which I benefit?

• How can I step up and call out discrimination?