Freeing us all from social norms that lead to harm is a necessity. We see this in the curtailment of women’s freedoms, the endemic levels of domestic abuse and sexual violence, and forms of men’s violence against other men and boys. As well as the ways that limiting and harmful notions of what it means to be a man contribute to loneliness and suicide. Restrictive gender norms harm everybody, while feminism and gender equality benefits us all. It is therefore essential that our work is driven by the principle and goal of equality, and that we actively work to shift the gender norms and inequities at the root of these issues.

Gender inequality is compounded by structural oppression and discrimination experienced on the basis of race, disability, wealth and social class, sexuality, sex, gender identity, trans identity, religion, immigration status and age. These inequalities have a significant impact on people’s lives, and it essential they are not flattened in work focused on any one gender. For example, any meaningful work to tackle VAWG must also recognise that these intersecting inequalities, such as a woman’s immigration status or race, can drive victimisation and mean some women are less likely to have access to justice and support. Work to address boys’ educational attainment must also look through the lens of race, social-economic status and disability to gain any real understanding of boys’ reality. Another example is the need to consider how homophobia may impact someone’s experience of abuse, including men of all sexualities. Ensuring we are approaching our work through this lens of intersectionality creates space for greater solidarity, and enables us to push back against narratives which, for example, seek to blame women and feminism for issues faced by men or the weaponisation of VAWG for anti-migrant and racist agendas.

Harmful gender norms are embedded and reproduced at every level of society and supported by not only individuals, but also by systems and structures which maintain the status quo – from victim-blaming practices embedded in the criminal justice system, to stark health inequalities, the unequal harms of climate crisis, the harms of the hostile immigration environment, and the monetisation of harm in our online world. We will have limited impact if we only address the perspectives and behaviour of individuals or one-off initiatives which do little to tackle institutional cultures and systems which reproduce that behaviour. It is essential that our work recognises the systemic and structural nature of gender and intersecting inequalities and calls for systems-change.

It is essential to create space for difficult conversations and difference, whilst recognising the opportunities for connection that can build solidarity and enable us all to thrive – recognising that our lived realities and the issues we face are intertwined. These difficult conversations require the need to embrace discomfort, to acknowledge the realities of harm and unequal power, and ensure the voices of those being harmed are heard. For example, work which seeks to tackle the influence of harmful misogynistic ideas on boys and young men must also hear the voices of the women, girls and LGBTQI+ people who are the ultimate targets of those harmful ideas. In holding these difficult conversations, we must seek to reflect and be open about the dynamics of power at play, including the allocation of resources and how marginalised voices are centered/ decentred. This includes vigilance and reflection on any underlying sense of entitlement, and the importance of accountability, empathy and care – for ourselves and for others.

A different world is possible – violence is not inherent in any one group or person, nor does it need to be normalised in society. We are striving to build a positive vision of what the future could look like for us all if we were freed from harmful gender norms and expectations. We are committed to a culture of non-violence, rejecting all forms of physical, emotional, and structural harm. We are all agents of change in the work of creating that future

People of all genders have the right to live our lives free from abuse. Although who we work with may differ, the universality of that right is essential to the world we want to build: no one’s experiences will be ignored and we will leave no one behind.