‘Equality for Men’ is a new book by Glen Poole, fatherhood campaigner from Great Britain.
Glen Poole worked very closely with Matt O’Connor of Fathers4Justice. More than any other group in the world, Fathers4Justice put issues surrounding single fathers, unjust family law courts and fatherless children on the worldwide map. Who can forget Jason Hatch climbing the walls of Buckingham Palace with his banner, ‘Super Dads of Fathers 4 Justice’? Billions of people saw Jason perched perilously on the ledge of the palace, protesting against the innate bias against the male of the species. It was this series of brilliantly staged protests that put this subject into the public sphere and helped spark some positive changes, not only in England and Australia, but in dozens of countries.
Shared Parenting after divorce is now much more accepted although there is still much to be done in this area. Glen Poole, as the PR Director was one of the key thinkers and strategists that helped bring that much needed change to the world and thankfully he has not stopped.
His new book is a must-read for anyone interested in the topic of true gender equality in the light of the fact that men and women really are so different (see this week’s All You Need is Love). Glen is an advocate for men, but not at the expense of women. He applauds the gains that women have made however simply points out how, in so many areas, men and boys are falling behind.
Glen’s book is a simple but brilliant expose of the realities of gender equality in the world today. John Adams from Dad Blog UK gives his opinion of this groundbreaking book:
International Men’s Day and the theme for 2013 was keeping men and boys safe. To coincide with this event, men’s rights campaigner Glen Poole published an ebook called Equality for Men.
I’ve had the good fortune to meet Poole. Far from being some firebrand men’s rights campaigner of the superhero-costumed variety, he’s softly spoken with moderate, well-argued views and he knows this subject incredibly well.
You may be asking if there is a need for a men’s equality movement. This is a question Poole answers in his book very succinctly. He highlights the following issues that affect men:
- Have a shorter life expectancy
- Worse educational outcomes
- Greater chance of being excluded from school
- Greater chance of being a victim of crime
- Greater risk of being a victim of violence
- Greater risk of being homeless, have an addiction problem or imprisoned
- Greater risk of being unemployed
- Greater risk of dying at work
- Greater risk of suicide
- Unequal parental rights.
Poole covers a huge amount in this book and doesn’t dodge controversial subjects. He tackles head-on the issue of domestic violence committed against men by female partners and female-on-male sexual abuse (both more prevalent than you might imagine). The book also puts forward a compelling argument that society is simply more tolerant of violence against men and that men are frequently seen as being problems whereas women are seen as having problems.
Poole also looks at the positive impact having an involved father can have on a child’s life. The chapter about male prisoners and the effect on rates of re-offending when the prisoner stays in touch with their children was particularly enlightening.
From the outset Poole stresses that he isn’t interested in placing men’s rights above women’s rights. He argues for greater equality for both genders but states that men’s equality is often overlooked and that a more equal world for men would benefit everyone.
I could go on and on and on about Equality for Men but I’d be in danger of giving too much away! This is a very accessible book written in very plain language and I read most of it in one evening.
It’s a great introduction to the issues facing men and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in equalities issues. If you aren’t interested in equality issues then reading it should be mandatory.
Lovework
I have spoken to Glen Poole on the phone and followed his noble work from afar. I would concur completely with every word of John Adams above. Like John Adams, I would encourage you to read this short book, whether you are interested in these issues or not. We are all interested as dads in creating a better world for our children. If you have sons, they are and will be affected by the ‘system’s innate bias against men. If you have daughters they will one day grow up and want to marry a man, not a boy that has never grown up who only thinks about himself because he has never had anyone model to him how to become a man. Forewarned is forearmed. Together we can make a difference!
Yours for True Gender Equality
Warwick Marsh
PS. Love to hear what you think about this book Equality for Men. Please send your thoughts to info@fatherhood.org.au
PS2. Before you get stuck into me about gender inequality in the workplace, which in Australia is a differential of 17.6% in favour of men, here are some facts:
- Men work longer hours than women.
- Men work more overtime than women.
- Men are more likely, by a long way, to get killed in their job than women.
Yes, there is need for greater equality in this area, but the reality is, men and women are different and some of these differences in outlook and application will always make differentials in the workplace an ongoing reality.
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