Women Strongly Support New York Declaration for Men and Boys

International Council for Men and Boys Press Release

March 19, 2025 / Washington

The International Council for Men and Boys held a press conference in New York City on March 12 to release its long-awaited New York Declaration for Men and Boys. The New York Declaration fulfills the stated intention of the 1995 Beijing Declaration for women, which makes numerous references to the urgent need for “gender equality.”

The New York Declaration highlights the 12 areas where men and boys are lagging behind women, including health disparities, educational underachievement, homelessness, legal inequalities, and more. The Declaration underscores International Council for Men and Boys’s commitment to ensuring that discussions on gender equality encompass the challenges faced by men and boys.

One day after formal release of the Declaration, on March 13, the International Council for Men and Boys convened a panel discussion at the Conference on Women and Family held in New York City to elaborate on the many ramifications of the Declaration. The reactions of the approximately 100 women attending the session were highly positive. The women commented about the urgent need for the Declaration, emphasizing its importance for the well-being of their husbands, fathers, sons, and other male relatives.

In addition, women from around the world have offered testimonials in support of the New York Declaration for Men and Boys. Examples include:

“I applaud this much needed New York Declaration for Men and Boys, highlighting so many of the key issues that are destroying the lives of men and boys across the world. It is shameful that matters such as parental alienation, false allegations, the soaring male suicide rate are kept off the public agenda.” — Bettina Arndt, Mothers of Sons, Australia
“We hereby express our unequivocal support for the New York Declaration for Men and Boys and its mission to promote fairness, equity, and justice for all. The Declaration represents a critical step toward dismantling systemic barriers, challenging harmful stereotypes, and fostering opportunities for men and boys to thrive alongside women and girls.” — Lyn Crabtree, International Falsely Accused Day, England
“For too long, we have treated men and boys with indifference or contempt, accusing them, blaming them, and acting towards them as if their only role in modern society is to apologize for being male. It is the duty of men and women of good conscience to reach out to them with compassion and right action.” — Janice Fiamengo, Professor of English, University of Ottawa, Canada

The broad support of women to address men’s issues was also evident in a survey recently conducted in the United States:

Nearly three-quarters — 73% — of women respondents agreed that society should invest in addressing the societal challenges that men face, such as higher rates of suicide, homelessness, and work fatalities.
Mental health support specifically for men (55%), homelessness prevention and support (53%), and reducing the stigma around men asking for help (51%) were the top three issues that female respondents considered a priority.

The International Council for Men and Boys invites women around the world to actively spread the word to their friends and lawmakers about the historic importance of the New York Declaration for Men and Boys.

The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization that is working to celebrate the contributions of men to society and to end the 12 disparities that affect men and boys around the world. Achieving #GenderEqualityForMen also will benefit women.