Why Feminism is Good for Men - Jens van Tricht (Emancipator)

How can men contribute to gender equality and justice in the world? What can they learn from feminist approaches? How can they break free from the limiting expectations of what a 'real' man should be, and become more fully human? In this episode, we talk to Jens van Tricht, the author of an inspiring book 'Why Feminism is Good for Men', now translated from the original Dutch into English by Liz Waters - and launched with this episode of Now and Men! The book offers an accessible and hopeful perspective on men and masculinities, connecting the personal and the societal, the abstract and the concrete, the theoretical and the practical, the serious and the playful. 

Jens describes himself as an 'idealist, anarchist, and feminist'. In our discussion, we explore Jens's own journey and how these influences have played out: from childhood questions about gender norms, to teenage angst and punk music, the Amsterdam squatter and anarchist movements - and finding direction through Women's Studies, personal growth and feminist practice. 

Drawing on these experiences, ten years ago Jens founded Emancipator, an organisation which promotes gender equality and social justice by engaging with men and boys about issues including work and care, violence and safety, sexuality and sexual diversity. Jens is also a board member of the MenEngage Global Alliance.

• You can find out more about Jens’s work at https://www.jensvantricht.nl and Emancipator at https://www.emancipator.nl/en/emancipator-2/
• 'Why Feminism is Good for Men' can be purchased in English on Amazon, and is also available in Arabic, Dutch, German and Korean: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Feminism-Good-Jens-Tricht-ebook/dp/B0C579ZY14/ref=sr_1_3
• Follow Jens on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jensvantricht 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jensvantricht/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jens.vantricht.7

We cover the following topics in this episode:

• What led Jens to write the book and why feminism is good for men (01:04-05:49)
• Jens's experiences as a child and how these influenced his thinking about gender (05:49-13:31)
• His 'journey' into feminism and formative experiences as a teenager, e.g. punk music and the Dutch squatter movement (13:31-20:20)
• Being a man in Women's Studies (20:20-25:47)
• What 'men’s liberation'/'emancipation' means (25:47-31:38)
• Seeing oneself as a human being rather than a man (31:38-35:06)
• Holding oneself to account as a man (35:06-39:18)
• Emancipator's approach to working with men (39:18-42:34)
• Why the process is so important (42:34-48:42)
• Why relationships, sexuality and intimacy are such vulnerable and insecure domains for men (48:42-51:10)
• The context of The Netherlands and its upcoming election in debates about masculinity and gender equality (51:10-55:25)
• Wrapping up (55:25-59:58)