Advocating for boys is one way to help boys and men thrive.
At present, there are no governmental commissions working on behalf of boys and men in the United States. Not at the federal level & not at the state level. Even though boys lag behind girls in academic achievement and boys & men experience suicide, murder, drug & alcohol addiction, homelessness, incarceration, & early death at disproportionately high rates. And even though there are multiple commissions dedicated to addressing & advancing the needs of girls and women.
Blair Daly, founder of the Washington Initiative for Boys & Men (WIBM) is working to change that.
“The male population, I think, can be described as an under-advocated-for population group,” Blair says. “There’s very little organized advocacy.”
That’s why he created WIBM, which combines advocacy journalism and grassroots political action to draw attention to the unique needs of boys and men in Washington state. As a result, Washington state may become the first state in the US to establish a Commission on Boys & Men.
“Without a focus on the male population, we think a lot is being missed,” Blair says. Advocacy is necessary to focus attention on (& find solutions for) issues that disproportionately harm boys & men.
In this episode, Jen, Janet, & Blair discuss:
- Why boys need advocacy
- Challenges in advocating for boys & men
- Developing and demonstrating diverse support for boys
- How to talk about boys’ issues
- The power of local advocacy
- Why moms of boys are such great advocates for boys
- How to start advocating for boys
Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:
Washington Initiative for Boys & Men
7 Democrats, 7 Republicans Sponsor 2024 Commission on Boys & Men Legislation — article highlighting the diverse support for a WA Commission on Boys & Men
Updated one-pager about WA legislation to develop a Commission on Boys & Men
What is the Washington Initiative for Boys & Men? Blair Daly Explains — YouTube video
Boys Moms as Boy Advocates — ON BOYS episode featuring Gemma Gaudette
50/50 Shared Parenting — ON BOYS episode
Real Talk about Fentanyl, Opioids, & Marijuana — ON BOYS episode
Talk with Boys Like a PRO (about anything & everything!) — Jen & Janet’s upcoming course (starts May 7, 2024)
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