WHAT: The Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities (CSMM) at Stony Brook University will host the International Conference on Masculinities: Engaging Men and Boys for Gender Equality, a four-day symposium to encourage men’s activism in support of gender justice and increase cooperation between feminist activists and academic researchers who address these issues.
The conference, the most comprehensive ever held in the United States dedicated to engaging men and boys for gender equality, features an international roster of renowned leaders on gender issues. Sheryl Sandberg and Gloria Steinem will make presentations on opening night along with Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, executive director of UN Women, Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D., CSMM Director Michael Kimmel and, via video, playwright Eve Ensler. Jane Fonda will address the conference on Saturday evening.
Plenary sessions at the conference, sponsored by CSMM in partnership with the American Men’s Studies Association, HeForShe, Man Up, and the MenEngage Alliance, will focus on these five topics:
- The global struggle against men’s violence toward women, sexual assault and trafficking; - Promoting men’s health, reducing health risks and HIV, and supporting women’s reproductive health and rights;- Policies to promote gender equality in education, employment, social life, and the political arena;- Transforming fatherhood, the emotional lives of fathers, and the importance of paternal involvement in a child’s development;- Engaging young men in issues of gender equality, bullying and more.
Other conference highlights include a presentation by a group of men from Bangladesh working to end the horrific practice of throwing acid on girls attempting to go to school, and the screening of two documentaries: The Mask You Live In by documentarian Jennifer Siebel Newsom, which examines how society fails boys, and The Hunting Game by Academy Award-nominated directors Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick, which investigates sexual assault on college campuses.
WHEN: Thursday, March 5, 7:30 p.m.: Opening night features remarks by Michael Kimmel, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Sheryl Sandberg, Dr. Samuel Stanley and Gloria Steinem.
Friday, March 6, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.: Plenary sessions are “Men Supporting Gender Equality: Engagement and Accountability” and “Engaging Men as Fathers.” Speakers include Bafana Khumalo, co-founder, Sonke Gender Justice; Marco Aurelio Martins, executive director of Promundo; and Elizabeth Nyamayaro, head of the HeForShe campaign.
Saturday, March 7, 8 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.: Plenary sessions are “Engaging Young Men and Boys for Gender Equality” and “Engaging Men Against Men’s Violence.” Speakers include Dana Edell, executive director, Spark Movement; former NFL players Joe Ehrmann and Don McPherson; Chris Howard, president of Hampden-Sydney College; Todd Minerson, executive director of the White Ribbon Campaign; and Esta Soler, president of Futures Without Violence. Jane Fonda will be the keynote speaker at the banquet, which begins at 6:45 p.m.
Sunday, March 8, 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.: The closing plenary is “Where Do We Go From Here,” featuring Lori Adelman, executive director of Partnerships at Feministing; Dr. Abhijit Das, director of the Centre for Health and Social Justice; Jackson Katz, co-founder of Mentors in Violence Prevention; Manu Sareen, the Minister for Equality and Family Life; and feminist author Naomi Wolf.
WHERE: The Roosevelt Hotel, 45 East 45th Street, New York, N.Y.
About The Center For The Study Of Men and Masculnities:The Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities, established at Stony Brook University in 2013, is dedicated to engaged interdisciplinary research on boys, men, masculinities, and gender. Its mission is to bring together researchers, practitioners, and activists in conversation and collaboration to develop and enhance projects focusing on boys and men. This collaboration will generate and disseminate research that redefines gender relations to foster greater social justice.
About Stony Brook University: Part of the State University of New York system, Stony Brook University encompasses 200 buildings on 1,450 acres. Since welcoming its first incoming class in 1957, the University has grown tremendously, now with more than 25,000 students, 2,200 faculty and 20 NCAA Division I athletic programs. Its membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU) places Stony Brook among the top 62 research institutions in North America.###
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