Male feminism: men's participation in women's emancipation movements and debates. Case studies from Belgium and France (1967–1984)

Abstract

This article investigates the political militancy of men for women's rights in Belgium and France from the late 1960s until the early 1980s. First, it discusses various perceptions of male feminism by female feminists: some insisted on the need for female autonomy and others on the necessity of male support to transform gender relations. Second, it distinguishes three different forms of male activism: participation in mixed-sex feminist groups; collaboration with feminist movements as coalition partner; and establishing feminist-inspired ‘men's groups’ to analyse masculine identities. Finally, it explores men's motivations to advocate women's rights (supporting reforms for the emancipation of women without questioning the position of men; analysing structural dimensions of women's oppression within wider political projects; criticism of traditional sexist masculinity models; and heterosexuality, emotions and personal concern for individual women's private lives). This article demonstrates that a small minority of men fought actively for women's emancipation, within and alongside feminist movements, under the conditions laid down by female feminists. However, their motivations were very diverse regarding the relationships among women's rights, social justice and the construction of masculine identities. The ambiguous relationships between female and male feminism, resulting from men's diverse positions towards the women's movement, will also be explained.