The team behind Moscow’s annual feminist festival has launched a male equivalent to field discussions on modern-day masculinity, reverse sexism and other issues men face today.
Gender.Team, a group of activists, psychologists, political scientists and journalists, established the Moscow FemFest in 2017 to promote gender literacy in a society not used to openly talking about women’s issues. Over the years, it has addressed day-to-day issues like domestic violence, victim-blaming and police dismissals of rape reports.
In 2020, the team said the time was ripe to tackle gender issues from a male perspective.
“Three years after the launch of Moscow FemFest, we saw that society is ready to talk about masculinity,” Gender.Team has said.
“This requires an independent platform, which will include men who are scared off by feminist rhetoric.”
Its inaugural Moscow MaleFest, with support from the Goethe-Institut cultural nonprofit and the Heinrich Böll Foundation think tank, takes place online this Saturday.
The all-day event features talks on gender privileges, consent, homophobia, modern parenthood and sex education.
Gender.Team recruited a diverse roster of speakers, including masculinity researchers, sexologists and psychotherapists from Russia and around the world for the event.
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