Remember that time the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hosted an all-male (read: conservative, white, old) panel to discuss access to birth control? I certainly do. Because it was a glaring reminder that those pasty old guys still run shit, including decisions made about my reproductive health.
But okay, whatever, that’s typical. Republican men are scared of women making their own choices about contraception and anything else for that matter, but that’s nothing new. Turns out, though, it’s not just the conservative oldies who believe men deserve to take the stage on decision-making about all social and political issues. Recently, the Fulbright Association decided to host a conference—featuring "the first all-male panel on gender equality." The Association cites a commitment to promoting “people-to-people diplomacy” and “international educational and cultural exchange” with an ultimate goal of “mutual understanding of the peoples of the world.” For now, though, that mutual understanding is just going to happen between the men who are already in charge of the world. The conference is called “The Missing Voice on Gender Equality: Time for Men to Speak Up.” The webpage features a prominent photo of Sheryl Sandburg smiling, looking motivated to create some people-to-people diplomacy with the caption “Lean In” below it—but someone’s got to remember to tell her she’s not invited to this conference. The event’s description highlights three famous women as prominent change-makers (evidently the writer had access to a sixth-grade American history textbook for reference) and notes the great strides women have made in the workforce, but laments that this progress is still hindered by the gendered social norms of our nation. “So what is the missing piece?” the writer asks. Then, in a poorly executed transition, the writer identifies "Men," as “the missing voice in the gender equality movement”.
Thank you, Fulbright Association, for finally giving a voice to the voiceless! How dare we focus on women when thinking about the movement for gender equality! Finally, an opportunity for men “to discuss their challenges and perspective as men in a gender-unequal society.” This Fulbright conference will give attendees the chance to “experience a potentially historic milestone in the gender equality movement: the moment when men led the conversation.”
Don’t get me wrong—we do need men’s voices on the gender equality movement. This universal issue cannot be solved by solely women. However, narrowing the participant pool for a discussion on a topic that involves a far broader population than just men makes about as much sense as old guys deciding on my access to birth control.