Contributor: ‘Have you considered helping boys?’ The other gender gap

Seven years ago, when I was a non -partisan defender of girls and women, I faced a striking question from the Senate supporting employee: “Have you thought about helping the boys? They really need our help now. ”

I resisted the desire to cringe. Instead of rejecting her point of view, I plunged into the study and found a real, mainly ignored crisis facing boys and men. There was another surprise in the data: liberal parents are uniquely positioned to achieve progress.

Women struggled for progress and personal freedom, destroying barriers to women and girls, and it is worthwhile to celebrate. But boys and men are faced with crises that have been ignored for too long, and the time has come to expand our empathy for them and maintain efforts today for more compassion and resources aimed at their path. We must defend such efforts as Governor Gavin News Recent executive order Aimed at considering the growing crisis of suicide and social disunity among boys and young people. Because if we are sick in one sex to win, both sexes will lose.

A Brookings report They emphasize that both conservative and liberal parents – both mothers and fathers – express great concern about their future sons than their daughters.

It is curious that when he was asked about the children as a whole – not their own – the conservatives were more concerned about boys than about girls, and the liberals expressed great concern among girls.

This discrepancy emphasizes a blind spot: liberal parents must admit that the struggle of boys is not just isolated problems affecting their individual families; Experience reflects the system bias that requires our attention.

Today we are faced with a significant gender gap in education. In colleges throughout the United States, Almost 60% of students are women. The gender gap in higher education is now wider than it was when the title IX was adopted in 1972.But he rolled over in the opposite direction. Nevertheless, where is the national campaign to solve this imbalance?

Why don't we work to return it to the center? Why did we refuse equality?

Women now get most associated, undergraduate, master and doctoral students, Nevertheless, efforts to increase the performance of women are still often overshadowed by the need to support men.

Instead of doubt that “wrong” with the boys, we must study the systems that fail them. Our education system cannot be developed to correspond to the common nature of boys, Many of which flourish in an environment that encourage active participation, practical training and flexibility.

The crisis extends beyond the formation of boys for the mental health of adults, the loneliness and well -being of adults. Men are four times more likely to die of suicide than women, and make up 71% of drug overdoseNevertheless, our cultural narrative often accuses their unwillingness to “open” or indicates “toxic masculinity” as the main reason.

Male health, in general, is another area where the differences are sharp. In the United States there are eight federal offices devoted to women's health – and no one for men. The data, according to, indicate politicians in a different direction: Men The worst results regarding health than womenTaking more illness and dies younger.

This imbalance says a lot. If we really appreciate the health and well -being of boys and men in our lives, we must protect federal and state initiatives that relate to the health of men.

The problems that boys and men face are interconnected today, cover education, mental health, physical well -being, a system of family courts and social narratives. They are The results of the confluence of eventsIncluding cultural and technological changes that disproportionately amaze men and boys.

To solve these differences, we need leaders – women and men, republicans and democrats – who will defend fair resources and system reforms.

The starting point should think about the big. We must build a system of education that educates the potential of all students, a mental health system that provides compassionate and effective care, and a healthcare system that recognizes the unique needs of boys and men.

And at the cultural level, we must rethink the narratives that accuse and are ashamed of our boys. The time has come to find compassion for boys and men.

The shift in the public perspective is expired, and progress can accelerate if women – especially people with liberal values ​​- defend this reason, because the future is not female: the future is everything.

Lisa Britton is Evie magazine writer And the defender of boys, men and fathers. She lives in Los -Angeles. X: @Lisabritton