Global Council Launches Action Plan to Address Challenges Facing Men and Boys
Dr. Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson
President, The New Enlightenment Project
Correspondence: Dr. Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson (Email: lhrobertson@sasktel.net)
Received: April 9, 2025
Accepted: April 9, 2025
Published: June 1, 2025
Abstract
This article reports on the unveiling of the “New York Declaration” by the International Council for Men and Boys during the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Framed as a complementary initiative to women’s rights, the declaration addresses disparities affecting males worldwide—including education, health, domestic violence, homelessness, and legal injustice. Drawing on expert testimony, personal narratives, and international legislative examples, the article situates the Council’s efforts within a global movement to reframe gender equality to include the experiences of men and boys. The piece outlines policy goals, statistical evidence, and ongoing committee work, emphasizing the need for balanced and inclusive approaches to gender justice.
Keywords: Child Custody Inequality, Domestic Violence Against Men, Educational Disparities, False Allegations, Gender Equity Initiatives, Homelessness Among Men, Media Representation of Men, Men’s Health Crisis, New York Declaration 2025, Shared Parenting Advocacy
Introduction
This article reports on the unveiling of the “New York Declaration” by the International Council for Men and Boys during the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Framed as a complementary initiative to women’s rights, the declaration addresses disparities affecting males worldwide—including education, health, domestic violence, homelessness, and legal injustice. Drawing on expert testimony, personal narratives, and international legislative examples, the article situates the Council’s efforts within a global movement to reframe gender equality to include the experiences of men and boys. The piece outlines policy goals, statistical evidence, and ongoing committee work, emphasizing the need for balanced and inclusive approaches to gender justice.
Main Text (Interview)
Author: Dr. Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson
On March 12, 2025, The International Council for Men and Boys unveiled its “New York Declaration” during the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women—a symbolic setting to spotlight the often-overlooked struggles of males worldwide. It was described as a “landmark declaration” by spokesman Larry Demarco, who explained, “The initiative seeks to tackle disparities in education, health, homelessness, and justice, not to compete with women’s rights but to complement them.”
The Council points to stark statistics: women now outpace men in educational attainment globally, while men face a life expectancy gap of five years, driven partly by higher rates of homicide (80% male victims), suicide (75%), workplace injuries (twice the rate of women), and homelessness (76%). Military conscription and child labor disproportionately burden males, yet support services—whether for mental health, domestic violence, or legal aid—remain scarce. Media portrayals don’t help, with men depicted negatively 69% of the time, according to the Council. During the press conference, Dr. Edward Bartlet, President of Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (SAVE) noted that the World Health Organization addresses women’s, but not men’s health.
It was explained that there has been progress. In February 2025, India’s Kerala High Court challenged the bias in false allegation cases, ruling that a woman’s account isn’t automatically “gospel truth.” Spain’s Congress of Deputies debated how skewed domestic violence laws strain family ties, while Trinidad and Tobago launched a Men’s Bureau to address male-specific challenges. In the UK, the Centre for Social Justice’s Lost Boys report warned of a crisis among young men, and in Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a directive to boost male enrollment in higher education and skills programs.
Personal stories underscore the stakes. Ulysses Slaughter, who witnessed his father murder his mother at age 12, He said he became “anti-men” and became known as a “sexual violence rock star.” In 2021, however, his wife brought false allegations of abuse against him and his former allies in the women’s movement deserted him. He was left with “no support, no money and arrested,” but with the view that men may also be victims in need support. Dr. Don Hubin, chair of the National Counsel for Equal Shared Parenting, highlighted another angle: 85% of men see fatherhood as central to their identity, yet denied access to children drives divorced fathers’ suicide rates tenfold higher than average. States with shared parenting laws, he noted, see sharp drops in domestic violence.
The Council isn’t stopping at rhetoric. On-going committees were formed including one led by Robert Samery of Canada to combat false allegations and support male victims of domestic violence. Samery explained that the work of his committee will include drawing public attention to the outcomes of false allegations as well as to offer solutions to policymakers, both public and corporate in tackling “the current lack of understanding what men go through as either victims of domestic violence or false allegations.”
The New York Declaration aims to spark a global push for gender equality that includes men and boys—urging lawmakers to establish commissions, programs, and policies to close these gaps. As Demarco put it, it’s about balance, not rivalry.
Discussion
The New York Declaration marks a significant step in expanding global gender discourse to include the experiences of men and boys. Introduced during the UN Commission on the Status of Women, it underscores the need for a balanced approach to gender equity—one that recognizes male-specific issues without undermining progress for women.
By citing disparities in education, mental health, violence, and family law, the Council highlighted systemic gaps often left unaddressed. The declaration does not oppose women’s rights but seeks to complement them, urging a more inclusive conversation.
Examples from countries like India, Spain, and the U.S. suggest that change is possible through legal reform and targeted policy. Personal testimonies and the formation of focused committees, such as Robert Samery’s work on false allegations, show the initiative’s practical intent.
In sum, the declaration calls for a redefinition of gender equity—one that acknowledges and addresses the challenges men and boys face alongside those of women and girls.
Methods
None.
Data Availability
No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current article. All remains the intellectual property of the author and In-Sight Publishing.
References
(No external academic sources were cited for this interview.)
Journal & Article Details
- Publisher: In-Sight Publishing
- Publisher Founding: March 1, 2014
- Web Domain: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com
- Location: Fort Langley, Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada
- Journal: In-Sight: Interviews
- Journal Founding: August 2, 2012
- Frequency: Four Times Per Year
- Review Status: Non-Peer-Reviewed
- Access: Electronic/Digital & Open Access
- Fees: None (Free)
- Volume Numbering: 13
- Issue Numbering: 2
- Section: B
- Theme Type: Idea
- Theme Premise: None
- Theme Part: 1
- Formal Sub-Theme: None
- Individual Publication Date: June 1, 2025
- Issue Publication Date: July 1, 2025
- Author(s): Dr. Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson
- Word Count: 522
- Image Credits: Photo by Michael Weibel on Unsplash
- ISSN (International Standard Serial Number): 2369-6885
Acknowledgements
None.
Author Contributions
None.
Competing Interests
The author declares no competing interests.
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Supplementary Information
Below are various citation formats for Global Council Launches Action Plan to Address Challenges Facing Men and Boys.
American Medical Association (AMA 11th Edition)
Robertson LH. Global Council Launches Action Plan to Address Challenges Facing Men and Boys. June 2025;13(2). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/robertson-global-men-boys-action
American Psychological Association (APA 7th Edition)
Robertson, L. H. (2025, June 1). Global Council Launches Action Plan to Address Challenges Facing Men and Boys. In-Sight Publishing, 13(2). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/robertson-global-men-boys-action
Brazilian National Standards (ABNT)
ROBERTSON, L. H. Global Council Launches Action Plan to Address Challenges Facing Men and Boys. In-Sight: Interviews, Fort Langley, v. 13, n. 2, 2025. http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/robertson-global-men-boys-action
Chicago/Turabian, Author-Date (17th Edition)
Robertson, L. H. 2025. “Global Council Launches Action Plan to Address Challenges Facing Men and Boys.” In-Sight: Interviews 13 (2). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/robertson-global-men-boys-action
Chicago/Turabian, Notes & Bibliography (17th Edition)
Robertson, L. H. “Global Council Launches Action Plan to Address Challenges Facing Men and Boys.” In-Sight: Interviews 13, no. 2 (June 2025). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/robertson-global-men-boys-action
Harvard
Robertson, L. H. (2025) ‘Global Council Launches Action Plan to Address Challenges Facing Men and Boys’, In-Sight: Interviews, 13(2). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/robertson-global-men-boys-action
Harvard (Australian)
Robertson, L H 2025, ‘Global Council Launches Action Plan to Address Challenges Facing Men and Boys’, In-Sight: Interviews, vol. 13, no. 2, http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/robertson-global-men-boys-action
Modern Language Association (MLA, 9th Edition)
Robertson, Lloyd Hawkeye. “Global Council Launches Action Plan to Address Challenges Facing Men and Boys.” In-Sight: Interviews, vol. 13, no. 2, 2025, http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/robertson-global-men-boys-action
Vancouver/ICMJE
Robertson LH. Global Council Launches Action Plan to Address Challenges Facing Men and Boys [Internet]. 2025 Jun;13(2). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/robertson-global-men-boys-action
Note on Formatting
This document follows an adapted Nature research-article format, tailored for a scholarly article. Traditional sections such as Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Main Text, and Discussion are complemented by supplementary sections including Methods, Data Availability, and References. This structured approach ensures both academic rigor and clear presentation of the content.
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