How to encourage change
When it comes to solutions, there are both personal and societal changes we can all make.
Guardians of young people can talk to the next generation early on about appropriate behaviour and be wary of gender stereotypes and sexist assumptions – especially given that stereotypes may start to be imposed as young as three months. Parents can also be more intentional about challenging sexist assumptions in the home. Not least since, when men show hostility towards women, which has been dubbed “hostile masculinity”, it has been linked to increased incidences of violence against women.
On a societal level, policy measures can help address these imbalances, such as providing paid family leave for all workers, men and women alike. This has been successfully implemented in several Nordic countries, where a paid “use it or lose it” approach has increased the number of men taking parental leave. This in turn normalises and values caregiving and with more support at home, helps keep women more closely tied to the workforce, limiting the economic damage. When men take on more care at home, the very idea of what masculinity is can change and evolve over time, to one that includes caring and better supports women, even developing a different sense of what it can mean to be a man, which has been dubbed “caring masculinities“.
When women are empowered, it benefits all of society, explains Homan, as women in power tend to invest more heavily in health care, public health, education, welfare and social safety programmes that can improve the health of the wider population. “Conversely, greater structural sexism leads to reduced public investment in these areas, harming everyone, including men.”
And finally, openly talking about the consequences of sexism can help raise awareness of the harms involved. There is even evidence that speaking out about unwanted discrimination is beneficial for mental health, as it can lead to more support. At the same time, however, we need to acknowledge the structural pervasiveness of the issue and that individual action is not enough.