Co-hosted by the SAIS International Development Program and the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security
Gender inequality is one of the most pressing global development issues we face today: it hinders women’s fundamental human rights, as well as their access to economic, social, and political opportunities. Too often, however, work to rectify these inequalities – largely through women-led movements – has lacked the support of men and boys and their buy-in as thoughtful partners in advancing the agenda. This needs to change if we hope to realize full equality in our lifetime.
Gary Barker is the President and CEO of Promundo, a global leader in promoting gender justice and preventing violence by engaging men and boys in partnership with women and girls, with partners in over 45 countries. With over 20 years of experience at Promundo since founding the organization, Dr. Barker has extensive experience in leading cutting-edge research on masculinities and gender equality, developing and scaling up evidence-based programming, and spearheading high-profile advocacy initiatives, partnerships, and campaigns. At this roundtable, Dr. Barker presented what works and what doesn’t to move the needle on men’s engagement in gender equality to advance the global development agenda.