The Token Man project, run by Daniele Fiandaca and supported by The Drum, is set to focus on Masculinity in the workplace as it plans an event for International Men’s Day.
The long-running diversity project created by Fiandaca, founder of Utopia and Creative Social, has driven the topic of Inclusion within marketing services for several years.
The event ‘Masculinity in the Workplace’ will be organised by HeANDshe and Token Man in response to the growth of stress and mental heath issues as a result of unconscious bias and masculinity ‘rules’ making it difficult for men to ask for support when needed.
Speakers include:
• Jordan Stephens, actor, musician from former hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks and spokesperson for mental health charity “I am Whole”
• Bruce Daisley, VP EMEA, Twitter
• Laura Radcliffe, lecturer and researcher in organisational behaviour, Liverpool University
• Simon Gunning, chief executive, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)
• Sophia Thakur, spoken word poet
• Xavier Rees, chief executive, Havas Media Group
"Everything we have learnt in the last three years has led us to believe that the best way to achieve gender equality is to inspire men to change their own behaviours in the workplace," said Fiandaca. "So we are using international men’s day to open up a conversation around masculinity, discussing how the current constructs are getting in the way of inclusion and focusing on solutions which will benefit everyone."
Roxanne Hobbs co-founder of HeANDShe and The Hobbs Consultancy, added: "For us inclusion is about everyone and for everyone. Too often men haven’t been invited to, and have sometimes been purposefully excluded from, conversations about gender, diversity and inclusion. Layered on that there is a lot of fear and confusion around masculinity in the work place right now. This isn’t in opposition to female inclusion - it’s the other side of the same coin.”
The event will take place on 19 November and will be supported by activity run through The Drum.
