“What’s in it for Men?”

Abstract

This article examines the question of what men win or lose by increased gender equality, in terms of well-being and health, combining a new macro data set with existing studies. A database was created for examining gender equality variables and potential health effects, using a sample of eighty-one European countries and the United States. The results indicate more positive effects for men than usually assumed. They also imply that men’s contribution to gender equality has been underestimated. Some patterns, like fertility, differ between Europe and the United States, and this article discusses different gender equality models. Also, the effects of gender equality differ for different groups of men, and this article discusses men who feel they “lose out.” Although the data concern associations, questions of causality are also raised, and the last part of this article presents a tentative explanatory model that includes structural factors as well as men and masculinity changes.