Feminist and LGBTQ+ Studies

Abstract

Initiatives to empower women and girls have been an integral part of work to increase gender justice, reduce incidents of violence against women and girls (VAWG), and make way for a 
gender-equitable world (Garcia, 2021). However, it is now more widely understood that involving men and boys in these discussions is vital to achieving these goals (Flood, 2019; 
Greig, 2018).  Gibbs et al. (2015) highlights the limited research on the role of facilitators in addressing masculinity. In this paper I draw on my PhD research, which uses photo-elicitation 
and semi-structured interviews to understand 20 male youth facilitators’ understandings of masculinity and their potential to engage young people in reframing negative hegemonic 
masculinity and challenge gender binaries. I also explore their capacity and desire to act as role models for young people, and allies for feminist movements. I ask participants to reflect on their 
own positionality, discussing their visual representation of masculinity (through an image/photograph), possible motivations to reframe different models of masculinity and any 
challenges that may arise from this. My work is focused on the North of England to identify if locality impacts facilitators experiences, recognising Northern culture, in particular, working
class identities, economic decline, and community relations. Throughout the paper I am guided by a social constructivist view of masculinity, looking at how feminist and queer theory interact 
and acknowledging that facilitators may challenge gender binaries and endorse positive identities that are not exclusively masculine. 

Biography

Angharad is a secondary school Social Science teacher in Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. She also works as the Programme Lead for Gender Action, supporting UK educators to develop a whole-school approach to tackling gender inequity. Angharad works as an education consultant, offering her expertise on sexism in education and online influencers. She has created content for the Association for Citizenship Teachers (ACT), Life Lessons and UKFeminista. Mostly recently she developed a series of resources for the London Violence Reduction Unit to support students to manage challenging circumstances and decisions. 
Angharad did her BSc in Psychology and MSc in Forensic before completing her PGCE in Citizenship and Social Science several years later, after working for mental health and feminist organisations, including Women in Prison and Women in Sport. Angharad began her PhD in Education and Social Justice in 2022 and has written papers on the manosphere as a social justice movement and an educator's role in promoting social justice. Her PhD paper is looking at the role that male youth facilitators play in challenging or promoting different types of masculinity.