The 'F Word' - A male feminist?

When you are involved in an organisation like Sophia, one of the questions you regularly face, as a male, is ‘why are you a trustee of Sophia Network? Surely a man can’t be a feminist!’

The reasons for being involved in Sophia are numerous and have changed in the time I have been a trustee. When I was first approached, I was a youth worker desperate to see the young women I worked with given equal opportunity in the church I served. I was eager to identify role models and mentors for them, and acutely aware of how difficult it was for many to find affirmation, encouragement and acceptance in the church. Now, as I train for ordained ministry alongside some incredibly talented, gifted and called women (and men), I am aware that I myself can influence the way women are treated through my own ministry. Now as a parent I want to be able to change the world for my daughter, that she might be able to stand on the shoulders of those women who went before her, those women I was involved in encouraging, supporting and journeying alongside. The work of Sophia is so important in this.

As a male member of Sophia’s trustee board I have an equal but different role. For me it is mostly about getting out of the way, stepping aside, recognising that I often have a platform by virtue of my gender, but sometimes I have to relinquish that space. That is hard as the editor of the blog which is why I am eager to get some people alongside me to ensure the voices of women are at the very heart of Sophia. There are spaces and conversations where the voice of women need to be heard and the voice of men quietened. If Sophia is, with integrity, going to describe itself as an egalitarian network then it is important that the voice of men forms part of this. While women do not need men to present their cause and speak on their behalf, there are contexts where my own voice can be amplified in order to speak out and share a message of equality.

I am excited for the launch of the ‘Minding the Gap’ research findings next month, not just because they will shape the direction of Sophia in the future, but more significantly because of the fact that over 1000 women contributed to the research, their voices need to be heard, they need to be amplified, their stories are important and Sophia wishes to be part of sharing the story.

So, if I am asked ‘Can a man be a feminist?’ my response is yes he can be, I would describe myself as one, but what I am actually striving to do is bigger than this, it is to be a man who is prepared to step back from the frontline, wherever I may be, in order to create space for women to step in.

Dan Crouch is a trustee of Sophia and a student training for ordination.