Taylah Leathem and Sarah Ramantanis
Image created by Taylah Leathem.
Gender equality is not just a women’s issue - it is a collective responsibility that requires active participation from men. Too often, discussions around gender equality focus solely on how men contribute to the problem. While it is crucial to acknowledge systemic barriers and historical disadvantages, the narrative needs to evolve to show how men can and must be partners in dismantling these inequities.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) launched Australia’s International Gender Equality Strategy in February, reinforcing Australia’s commitment to championing gender equality on a global scale. It focuses on integrating gender equality into foreign policy, development programs, and international partnerships. However, a crucial aspect is missing —how men can actively contribute to and support gender equality efforts. Sustainable gender equality requires collaboration at every level — individual, national, and global — but without a clear role for men, the strategy risks overlooking half the population’s potential to drive change. Engaging men not only as allies and advocates, but leaders in gender equality is essential to creating lasting and meaningful progress.
The Time is Now to March Forward with Men
The fight for gender equality in Australia has spanned generations, yet persistent disparities remain. International Women’s Day (IWD)’s inaugural Australian celebration in 1928 was driven by the fight for workplace rights — equal pay for equal work, eight-hour working days, and leave entitlements. Nearly a century later, these issues persist, highlighting how deeply entrenched gender norms continue to shape society.
The DFAT Gender Equality Strategy does underscore how societal attitudes prioritise men’s paid employment and assign the majority of unpaid care work to women, resulting in only 61 per cent of women participating in the labour force compared to 91 per cent of men. However, it lacks clear, actionable steps to engage men in addressing these disparities. This imbalance extends beyond economic inequality, with deeply ingrained social norms and biases reinforcing labour disparities and broader structural barriers to gender equality.
The ‘motherhood penalty’ sees women face reduced career opportunities, lower wages, and limited leadership pathways because of the increased carer workload and the larger physical toll. Despite these structural inequities, this outdated rhetoric continues to frame gender equality as a women’s issue, placing the burden of change solely on women. This approach is ineffective, as it fails to address the systemic nature of gender inequality. Achieving true equality requires redefining equality as a shared responsibility. As highlighted by the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, men must play a key role in shifting attitudes, transforming relationships and ensuring equitable access to resources.
Redefining Equality: A Call to Action
2025’s IWD theme ‘March Forward’ embraces this unified approach, calling on everyone to challenge outdated norms and champion leadership that values collaboration over competition. Focusing solely on women in gender equality programs risks reinforcing the misconception that gender inequality is exclusively a women’s issue. Plan International points out that such an approach overlooks the need for men to be part of the solution. Former DFAT Secretary Peter Varghese introduced the Women in Leadership Strategy in 2014 to investigate the causes of unequal career progression between women and men. This strategy marked an important step in acknowledging gender disparities within DFAT, but addressing the issue requires more than just policies focused on women. Frances Adamson, who succeeded Varghese as the first female Secretary of DFAT in 2016, has continued efforts to improve gender equality, demonstrating the impact of leadership in driving change.
Initiatives like Young Women to Watch (YWTW) by Young Australians in International Affairs (YAIA) also play a crucial role in shifting the gender balance in international affairs. Launched to address the lack of recognition for women in the field, YWTW not only spotlights emerging female leaders but also highlights the systemic barriers that persist. By celebrating the achievements of women in diplomacy, policy, and global affairs, YWTW sends a powerful message about the need for equal representation. The initiative serves as both a source of inspiration for women and a call to action for men to become active allies in advancing gender equality.
Without a concerted effort to involve men in dismantling these barriers, progress remains incomplete. While DFAT and YAIA are taking important steps toward gender equality, achieving lasting change is a shared responsibility that requires both women and men to actively challenge the structures that perpetuate inequality.
Leading Together through Collaboration
Gender equality is more than just principles, it is about tangible actions in everyday life. Anyone can contribute to meaningful change by taking direct, practical steps.
Men have an opportunity to be leaders in this movement.
Champion full participation in leadership: Sustainable Development Goal #5 calls for ensuring that women have equal opportunities to fully participate and take on leadership roles in all areas of decision-making, including political, economic, and public spheres. Mentor your peers and encourage equal participation from women and girls in your professional life.
Educate yourself on women’s rights: Learn about freedom from violence and discrimination, access to quality healthcare and education, equal pay, and full participation in society. Engage with the UN Women HeForShe initiative by signing the pledge, using the Male Allyship Toolkit to challenge discrimination, and advocating for gender-inclusive policies and education.
Involve children and young people in conversations about gender norms: Challenging traditional gender stereotypes is key to fostering a cultural shift for future leaders. Research from Deloitte’s Access Economics’ Remaking the Norm report in partnership with Australians Investing in Women and the Minderoo Foundation reveals that by the age of six, gender norms shape children’s perceptions of their abilities and ambitions. We need to disrupt this cycle.
We are all part of the solution. The path to gender equality is not about assigning blame but about empowering action. The question is not just how we got here, but how we march forward, together.
Taylah Leathem is the former Communications Director of Young Australians in International Affairs and current Master's student in Archaeology, with a background in international affairs, anthropology, and protest studies. She is a sessional academic at Deakin University and previously completed an Honours thesis analysing the Capitol Insurrection as a transformative social event.
Sarah Ramantanis is the CEO of Young Australians in International Affairs and is an established youth leader in the not-for-profit and education sector. She is the Marketing and Communications Manager at the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute at the University of Melbourne. In her spare time, she is involved with Nexus Australia, UNICEF Child Rights Taskforce and The Centre of Youth Policy and Education Practice at Monash University and is the Co-Founder of KOS Magazine.
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