Creating a world where caring manhood is the new normal

The MenCare Changemaker Journey is a global initiative to solve some of the biggest problems facing men, boys, and manhood around the world today powered by the unique coming together of two of the world’s leading gender equality organizations, Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice, and WOW – Women of the World.

Spearheaded by renowned thought leaders, Gary Barker, President and CEO of Equimundo and Jude Kelly, the trailblazing theatre director and Founder Director of WOW. Find out what they have to say here.

And so the journey continues…

Mencare Changemaker
Summit, Melbourne 2027

A global summit convening the MenCare Changemakers and international and Australian artists, leaders and activists creating an unprecedented space for global collaboration. Together, they will help spark a movement to promote caring manhood and transform how care is valued and shared worldwide. The MenCare Changemaker Summit, Melbourne is presented by Equimundo and WOW – Women of the World in collaboration with Australian partners Jesuit Social Services, WOW Australia and Minderoo Foundation. It will take place from 1-5 December 2027, details coming soon.

Rio 2026

Latest Stories and Updates

MenCare Changemaker ‘Action Track Shorts’

The eight new reels spotlight the MenCare Changemakers tackling some of the biggest challenges facing men and boys, as the global initiative builds towards the next MenCare Changemaker Summit in Naarm (Melbourne) in December 2027.

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It’s a wrap!

Over 100 Changemakers from more than 40 countries around the world met to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing men, boys and manhood today – culminating in a public Festival for over 6000 members of the public.

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The Politics of Joy: Reflections from the first ever MenCare Changemaker Summit

Senior Communications Associate at Equimundo, Laura Phillips-Alvarez shares her reflections from the first ever MenCare Changemaker Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

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Meet The Changemakers

The MenCare Changemakers are influential stakeholders from business, the media, culture, civil society, governments and more, working together to understand how we achieve health and wellbeing for men and boys together with women and girls, and how to solve some of the biggest problems facing men, boys, and manhood around the world today.

Dr. Derek M. Griffith
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Dr. Derek M. Griffith

Chairman, Global Action on Men’s Health

Dr. Derek M. Griffith is the Risa Lavizzo-Mourey Population Health and Health Equity University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also serves as Senior Advisor on Health Equity and Anti-Racism. A leading scholar on racial, ethnic, and gender equity in health, he specializes in community-based interventions to advance Black men’s health and intersectional approaches to health policy. Dr. Griffith chairs Global Action on Men’s Health and edits the International Journal of Men’s Social and Community Health. Widely published and honored, his work bridges research, policy, and practice to dismantle structural racism and promote health equity globally.

Action Track

Co-convener
Men’s Health & Health for All
Thought Leader Forum
Gary Barker
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Gary Barker

President, Chief Executive Officer, Founder, Equimundo

Gary is CEO and co-founder of Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice and a global leader in engaging men and boys for gender equality. He co-founded MenCare and MenEngage, created the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), and leads the State of the World’s Fathers reports. Formerly Executive Director of Instituto Promundo in Brazil, he has advised the United Nations, World Bank, and governments worldwide. Named by Apolitical among the 20 most influential in gender policy, he is an Ashoka Fellow and Voices of Solidarity Award recipient. He speaks Spanish and Portuguese.

“True democracy asks more than casting a ballot; it demands that each of us – especially as men – step into the roles of caregivers, connectors and collaborators, so our communities don’t just survive but flourish.”

Action Track

Co-convener
Democracy, Violent Extremism & Tech-Enabled Harms
Thought Leader Forum
Jude Kelly
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Jude Kelly

Founder Director, WOW – Women of the World

Jude Kelly CBE is one of the UK’s most powerful cultural leaders. She is an award-winning creative, a business leader and mentor, and a celebrated global champion of equality, with a particular focus on intersectional gender equity. In 2018, she founded The WOW Foundation as a force for change. WOW – Women of the World began as a festival created at London’s Southbank Centre in 2010 where Jude was artistic director for 12 years. Now an independent charity, WOW has seeded a global movement with activity in 45 locations across six continents and reached 5 million people.

She has received many awards and accolades, including BBC’s Most Powerful Women in the Arts. She is an inaugural member of Connected Women Leaders, sits on the Global Advisory Board of Pathfinders Presidents Council and the Advisory Board of Julia Gillard’s Global Institute for Women Leaders. Her TED Talk ‘Why women should tell the stories of humanity’ has had over 1m views. She has given keynote talks to business, governments and global leaders, including at UNESCO, COP 22, CHOGM 2022 and at the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos.

“The campaign is called MenCare because it affirms we are born as a species to seek care, and we’re also wired to care. As people take part in this initiative, they should expect to feel challenged and inspired; and they should feel an obligation that they have to act.”

Action Track

Co-convener
The Power of Story
Thought Leader Forum
Giovanna Lauro
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Giovanna Lauro

Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Equimundo

Giovanna has more than 20 years of experience advancing gender equality and preventing gender-based violence, with a focus on transforming harmful masculinities. As Equimundo’s Deputy CEO, she leads global research and program strategy. Previously, she was Associate Director of the Women and Population Programme at the United Nations Foundation and conducted research at the London School of Economics. A native of Italy, Giovanna is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, and serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth in the United States.

“Let’s choose care over fear; speaking up for equality over silence; and let’s do it together!”

Action Track

Boys & Education
Co-convener
Thought Leader Forum
José Campi-Portaluppi
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José Campi-Portaluppi

Director of Communications and Advocacy, Equimundo

José is the Director of Communications and Advocacy at Equimundo. He leads the communications and advocacy teams, amplifying research and programming on masculinities and gender justice to inspire action and drive impact in personal opinion, community norms, and public policy. Prior to joining Equimundo, José worked with different international organizations in educommunications, capacity strengthening, political incidence, research and learning experience design.

“Real transformation comes from moving people, the culture that shapes them, their attitudes and mindsets.”

Action Track

Caring Manhood in Cities & Regions
Caring Online Spaces
Co-convener
Thought Leader Forum
Richard V. Reeves
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Richard V. Reeves

President, American Institute for Boys and Men

Richard V. Reeves is the founder and president of the American Institute for Boys and Men(AIBM). Before founding AIBM in 2023, Reeves was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. While at Brookings, he focused on policies related to economic inequality, racial justice, social mobility, and boys and men.

Reeves is the author of several books, including “Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why it Matters, and What to do About It” and “Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That is a Problem, and What to do About It.”

Inspired by his own experiences as a father and policy expert, Richard founded AIBM to bring awareness to the challenges facing boys and men today and to develop evidence-based solutions.

Action Track

Boys & Education
Co-convener
Taveeshi Gupta
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Taveeshi Gupta

Director of Research, Evaluation, and Learning, Equimundo

Taveeshi is Director of Research, Evaluation, and Learning at Equimundo and a global expert on gender equality, masculinities, and the transformative power of care. Her research bridges developmental psychology and social change, advancing equitable caregiving and challenging harmful gender norms worldwide. She has advised the United Nations, OECD, APEC, and Movember, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Lancet Commission on Violence against Women and Girls. Her widely cited work, featured in The Guardian and NPR, explores issues such as the “manosphere,” men’s isolation, and the redefinition of masculinity through care.

“When we meet boys and men with genuine care – acknowledging their vulnerabilities and strengths – we create space for transformative change, because supporting men’s health uplifts everyone.”

Action Track

Co-convener
Men’s Health & Health for All
Colette Bailey
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Colette Bailey

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), WOW – Women of the World

Colette is CEO at WOW – Women of the World and a creative producer, with an established history and over 25 years experience of leading SME organisations and teams in the UK. Previously she was Artistic Director and CEO of Metal (2002-2021) and Managing Director at the Royal Society of British Sculptors (1998-2022). Her work has always been purpose-driven, creating arts programmes that are underpinned by social change, community participation and nurturing talent within people of all ages.

She is a passionate advocate for the transformational power of the arts to create change – for both people and places – and equally passionate that access to culture should be available to everyone. All her work to date has been to find ways to advocate for, develop and deliver this.

“Time and again I have seen first hand how the arts can transform possibilities for people, places and ideas. A warm welcome; exposure to a multitude of stories; feeling represented; and multiple entry points for getting involved can really begin to shift embedded behaviour, foster understanding and change hearts and minds in a way that traditional education or doctrine does not.”

Action Track

Co-convener
The Power of Story
Dr. Wessel van den Berg
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Dr. Wessel van den Berg

Senior Advocacy Officer, Equimundo

Wessel is Senior Advocacy Officer at Equimundo, where he advances global advocacy efforts and co-convenes the MenCare Global Campaign and Global Boyhood Initiative. A co-founder of MenCare and the State of South Africa’s Fathers report, he is dedicated to evidence-based advocacy on gender-equal parenting, care work, and violence prevention. Wessel’s background spans teaching, counseling, activism, and research, all centered on men’s roles in caregiving. He holds a PhD in Sociology from Stellenbosch University, focusing on engaging South African men in a feminist ethic of care, and lives in Cape Town with his wife and two young children.

“Men can find renewed purpose in everyday acts of care.”

Action Track

Co-convener
Men and Care Policies
Thought Leader Forum
Caroline Hayes
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Caroline Hayes

Technical Specialist on Digital Strategies, Equimundo

Caroline is Senior Technical Specialist on Digital Strategies at Equimundo, leading efforts to address harmful masculinities online and promote healthy, caring digital engagement. She oversees the LinkUp Lab and guides the design, implementation, and evaluation of digital-first interventions across research, programs, and advocacy. Caroline builds institutional capacity, forges partnerships with digital creators, tech leaders, and policymakers, and represents Equimundo in global forums on digital safety and gender justice. Previously, she worked with the White House Gender Policy Council and the U.S. Department of Justice on gender-based violence prevention, and served in the U.S. Peace Corps.

“I’m certainly no Luddite.” — J.G. Ballard

Action Track

Caring Online Spaces
Co-convener
Lisa Pusey
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Lisa Pusey

Director of Engagement and Impact, Champions of Change Coalition

Lisa Pusey is a gender equality and human rights expert with over 25 years experience leading complex gender equality initiatives, in Australia and internationally.

Over the past 10 years, Lisa has held various roles at the Champions of Change Coalition, working with the CEO to support, grow and execute the strategy. As Director of Engagement and Impact, Lisa co-leads the program workstream and engagement with the Coalition’s ~250 CEO Members.

Prior to joining Champions of Change, Lisa was adviser to Elizabeth Broderick (former Sex Discrimination Commissioner) at the Australian Human Rights Commission, and has worked in several international women’s human rights organisations where she worked closely with United Nations expert bodies to advance gender equality.

Action Track

Caring Manhood in Workplaces
Co-convener
Sabeena Akhtar
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Sabeena Akhtar

Head of Projects & Programmes, WOW – Women of the World

Sabeena is an award-winning festival programmer, curator, writer, and cultural leader with over a decade of experience delivering pioneering events across the UK and internationally. As Head of Projects and Programmes at WOW, she develops and curates world-class festivals and participatory programmes, working with global partners to platform diverse voices and urgent ideas.

A co-founder of the award-winning Primadonna Festival and Prize, Sabeena is passionate about equity in the arts and championing working-class creativity, drawing deeply from her own background and lived experience. Alongside her programming work, she is the editor of Cut From the Same Cloth? and the author of Talking About Islamophobia. A mum of four, Sabeena balances creativity, care and community within her work.

“Arts and culture don’t just reflect society, they shape it. Policy can shift structures, but art shifts imagination. If we want to change systems, we must also change the stories and narratives that sustain them”

Action Track

Co-convener
The Power of Story