This House Believes That Feminism Should Exclude Men

Is it possible to be a male feminist? Should only women define feminism, lead the discussions and fight the battles? Can a man understand what feminism really means if he hasn’t suffered the day to day realities of it such as sexual harassment, the glass ceiling, and objectification in the media? When men are listened to first and foremost in every area of politics – how can women keep their voices heard in a feminist movement which includes men? But sexism affects men too. Men are hugely under-represented in many professions such as nursing and teaching. Many men want the ability to take more time off to look after their children but are denied it, and many men face harassment and intimidation for behaving outside of socially acceptable masculine traits. Do they not have the same right to define as part of the movement to remove these inequalities? The Manchester Debating Union asks: should feminism exclude men? Proposition Speakers include: Jess Lishak - Women’s officer f