Gender News Weekly: Barbie is for Boys, Too

amp8220So far the gender revolution has been a onesided movementamp8221 began a New York Times Sunday Review piece by two researchers from the DCbased think tank Brookings Institutionamp160 Women the authors continue will continue to succeed in business and politics however along the way amp8220something crucial has been left outamp8221 an equal push for men to take on traditional female roles in amp8220pink collaramp8221 jobs and in the homeAre We Ready for a Serious Menamp8217s MovementAccording to the authors as traditional maledominated manufacturing jobs decline and men are no longer the sole breadwinners they have lost both their economic and social status amp8220The old economy and the old model of masculinity are obsolete Women have learned to become more like men Now men need to learn to become more like women amp8230 Men must either adapt or be left behindamp8221The gap begins in education where girls outperform boys at every level partially due to better study habits and attention spans in addition women are now the majority on college campuses earning about 60 of degreesamp160 With a labor market that increasingly requires secondary education and is becoming more femalefriendly women will advance steadily in the workplace leaving younger men behind amp160While there has been a push for women to enter maledominated STEM jobs the reciprocal is not true amp8220It is equally important to train and encourage men to take jobs that require skills in health education administration and literacy socalled HEAL jobsamp8221 Men also need to step up in the home the authors assert right now men still do an unequal share of housework and childcare but as more and more women become equal or primary breadwinners policies like paternity leave become crucial and men must be willing to take more time off work amp8220The way forward we believe is for men to embrace and adapt to the new more androgynous world There is no point in harking backamp8221 the authors concludeIf you want to leave more about this issue check out The Future of MenBarbie Puts a Boy in an Ad for the First Time and Everyone is Freaking OutFor the first time ever there is a boy in an advertisement for Barbie contributing to the conversation of genderneutral play and striking a cord with consumers Bustle reports In the ad which is for the highfashion Moschinoamp160Barbie two girls and the boy dress up the designerclad doll proclaiming how much they love her amp8220Moschino Barbie is sooo fierceamp8221 exclaims the blondehaired boy with a winkamp160 While the advertisement is certainly campy it reflects a shift to genderinclusive toys and clothes like Targetamp8217s recent decision to remove genderspecific signage in their toy aisles Barbie is now fair game for allInternational Menamp8217s Day Strikes Controversy International Menamp8217s Day was yesterday striking a debate of whether or not the day should exist at all Social media users had much to say triggering InternationalMensDay to become the top trending topic on Twitter amp160While many expressed backlash and more negative commentary claiming because of pervading male privilege amp8220menamp8217s dayamp8221 is actually amp8220every dayamp8221 some users and media outlets chose to focus on real malespecific problems like mental health and the fact that 75 of suicides are committed by men making it the No 1 cause of death among men between ages 2045 amp160Author and philosophy professor Christina Hoff Sommers focused on what she calls amp8220The War on Boysamp8221 the fact that boys are falling behind in every level of education and are much more likely to fail out more likely to get suspended and less likely to attend college In school she says amp8220Boys are treated like defective girlsamp8221 UN Women and Emma Watsonamp8217s HeForShe campaign asked their followers to look at International Menamp8217s Day from a feminist perspective writing amp8220Gender equality isnamp8217t just a womenamp8217s issue Feminism benefits men tooamp8221amp160 While the Twittersphere was certainly filled with countless hateful and counterproductive remarks about the day many users social commentators and gender equality campaigns were able to use the day for positive messaging and meaningful discussions34 suicides are committed by men InternationalMensDay httpstcoMx9F0VbjXwamp8212 The Future of Men FutureOfMen November 19 2015amp160Gender inequality isn39t just a women39s issue Feminism benefits men too HeForShe InternationalMensDay pictwittercomCdXcMQHBrNamp8212 UN Women UNWomen November 19 2015amp160Women are Closing the Gap in EntrepreneurshipIn additional to International Menamp8217s Day yesterday was Womenamp8217s Entrepreneurship Day a day much less controversialamp160 Held at the UN the second annual event amp8220a movement to empower celebrate and support women entrepreneurs worldwideamp8221 brought speakers from around the globe and was celebrated in 144 countries making WEDO2015 a trending topic on Twitteramp160 According to a recent CNBC report women around the world have narrowed the gender gap in entrepreneurship by six percent from 2012 to 2014amp160 Entrepreneurship is increasingly tied to economic development according to the report quotStatistics show that when women are provided with economic opportunity 90 cents on the dollar goes back to their familiesquot entrepreneur Wendy Diamond told CNBCWhite House Starts Initiative to Empower LowIncome Women of ColorLeaders from foundations across the country gathered at the White House late last week for a forum on amp8220Advancing Equity for Women and Girls of Coloramp8221 reports NBC News Addressing prevailing issues for women and girls of color such as limited economic opportunity vulnerability to violence and access to health care the forumamp8217s council laid out steps to combat these issuesamp160 Twentyfour American colleges and research institutions including The Anna Julia Cooper Center have pledged to conduct ongoing research a total of 18 million in voluntary commitments over the next five years The forum also launched amp8220Prosperity Togetheramp8221 a 100 million fiveyear funding initiative led by the White House aimed at improving economic conditions for women especially girls of colorThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageMyersBizNet management or associated bloggers

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Gender News Weekly: Barbie is for Boys, Too

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Connor Zickgraf

The Ad Council, Huntsman Mental Health Foundation and Amazon Announce “The Mind Set” to Support Mental Health - Ad Council InSites

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Gender News Weekly: Barbie is for Boys, Too

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Connor Zickgraf

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