The Council of Europe has adopted a set of Guidelines on the place of men and boys in gender equality policies and in policies to combat violence against women.

The Guidelines detail the range of measures member States should take: focusing on men and boys as agents of change and on countering resistance to gender equality, and for the promotion of gender equality in care; to reduce the negative impact of sexism, social norms and gender stereotypes on men and boys; to strengthen the role of men and boys in action to prevent and combat violence against women; and to promote scientific research and data on gender equality and women’s rights.

The Guidelines were developed on the basis of a study produced by the Gender Equality Commission. This work follows from the Gender Equality Strategy’s recognition that “The involvement of men and boys is critical to the achievement of gender equality”.