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As he was addressing a group of MPs and their staff who had come together to discuss child poverty Parliament last week, Victoria University public policy Professor Jonathan Boston realised he was the only man in the room.
Boston, who is co-chairman of the Children’s Commissioner’s advisory group on solutions to child poverty has discovered a significant gender divide, in terms of the level of male and female leadership and involvement in addressing child poverty and deprivation.
Boston believes everyone in society needs to care for our children and be concerned for those who are least advantaged. “Poverty is not just a women’s issue, it’s a societal issue.
“Men need to step up and take responsibility for these issues, along with women.”
But economist and social researcher, Dr Paul Callister, says interest in children’s wellbeing is not a gender issue. “The bigger issue is that both men and women don’t care enough about child poverty. If we did, we’d have a Swedish or Norwegian system in place.”
Callister believes men do engage with the challenges facing kids but they demonstrate it differently. “They are not necessarily at Plunket but they might be working with Big Buddy (which recruits male mentors for fatherless boys).”
He also points to the work of sports coaches, and organisations such as Rotary and the Lions, as examples of where he believes men are stepping up.
Callister concedes caring organisations remain dominated by women.
- New Zealand Herald
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