Michael Kaufman, co-founder of the White Ribbon Campaign, will visit York University on Feb. 26 to launch his new book, The Time has Come: Why Men Must Join the Gender Equality Revolution. The launch will take place from 12 to 1:30 p.m. in Room 305 Founders College at the Keele Campus.
Kaufman is an author, educator and theorist. He is an adviser on gender equity to the United Nations, governments, non-governmental organizations including Amnesty International, Oxfam and Save the Children, schools and workplaces.
Kaufman’s book, The Time has Come: Why Men Must Join the Gender Equality Revolution explores how a patriarchal culture that has given power and privilege to men comes at a huge cost to women, children, and surprisingly, to men as well. It details how very achievable changes in workplaces and families, in the ways that boys are raised to be men and the movement to end male violence, will bring significant rewards to global communities. The book uses honest storytelling and compassion coupled with hard-hitting analysis to argue why men must take a stand in the fight for general equality.
As mentioned earlier, Kaufman is the co-founder of the The White Ribbon Campaign, which is global network of men who are working to end violence against women. It was formed in 1991 as a response to the École Polytechnique massacre of female students in 1989. The campaign is focused on raising awareness about the prevalence of male violence against women. The white ribbon symbolizes the idea of men giving up their arms. The White Ribbon campaign seeks to promote health relationships, ender equality and a compassionate view of masculinity.
The launch and talk are free and open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by The School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies and the Department of Sociology.