Global Boyhood Initiative

[Xanthangum]

Am I being naive or is this a very good idea?

Building on the work of #StandWithWomen to confront systemic issues affecting girls and women during the pandemic, CHIME FOR CHANGE is pleased to join the KERING FOUNDATION’s Global Boyhood Initiative, launched last week in partnership with Promundo. The initiative is an effort to equip adults with the tools and resources to raise, teach and coach boys (aged 4-13) to share emotions in healthy ways, accept and connect with others, stand up and speak out against inequality, and break free from stereotypes. The initiative is focused on long-term systems change, and encourages boys to be their wonderful, complex, healthy, emotional, non-violent selves, and ultimately aims to prevent violence and achieve gender equality – coherently with Alessandro Michele’s collections for Gucci that use a gender-neutral approach to showcase the importance of challenging toxic masculinity and celebrating freedom of self-expression.

On the one hand, its Gucci woke-washimg. But on the other...

chime.gucci.com/news-press/guccis-chime-for-change-releases-its-latest-zine-and-presents-the-impact-of-the-standwithwomen-campaign/

It's what needs to happen but you are right, I can't read it without squirming, it just jangles my nerves.

But, again, it IS what all boys and men need to experience, consistently.

But, at the moment, I don't seem to have any joy for another scheme aimed at the fragile, selfish male psyche.

Oh, and the Gucci thing is just ugly.

And basically reinvents the gender bending male of so many decades and centuries before it...

But yay! All hail the conquering man designing an ugly man frock!

Did I say I was a tad jaded?

I think it’s a really good idea if

• they actually DO share emotions/break from stereotypes (all of them nit just the ones associated with men!)
• women are not also becoming the big bad Wolfe’s who is forcing them to change iyswim.

Tbf patriarchy is hurting high men and women because of said stereotypes. Any initiatiVe that goes against that will be good.

*I think it’s a really good idea if

• they actually DO share emotions/break from stereotypes*

It just feels like any attempt is just tokenism. It can't be widespread enough to make a difference