DC Conference Highlights Strategies to Mend Broken Gender Relationships and Strengthen the Family
November 19, 2025 — On International Men’s Day, observed around the world on November 19, the International Council for Men and Boys (ICMB) is spotlighting the urgent need to restore and strengthen the family. This message was powerfully conveyed at its recent November 5 conference held in Washington, D.C. Presenters from a variety of disciplines delivered data-driven insights and personal testimony that point to one conclusion: When fathers are empowered, families are stabilized, and society is healed. (1)
Journalist Lisa Britton, columnist for Evie Magazine, issued a challenge to curb gender ideologies that distort relationships. “The war on men has harmed us all,” Britton explained, urging women to advocate for boys, fathers, and fair family policy. (2)
Dr. William Bernet, professor emeritus at Vanderbilt University, focused on the misinformation on parental alienation and child abuse that clouds public understanding and judicial action. Dispelling false narratives, he emphasized, is essential to protecting children from harmful separation from loving parents. Bernet also was honored with the ICMB Award of Excellence for his lifetime of work to end parental alienation. (3)
Dr. Don Hubin, board chair of the National Parents Organization, explained how current child support laws foster legal conflict. He called for rational, research-based reforms to remove perverse financial incentives and allow both parents to remain involved, even after marital separation. (4)
From Israel, Dr. Benjamin Bailey—co-founder of By Your Side—shed light on the often-overlooked issue of male victims of intimate partner violence. Drawing from over two decades of experience as a clinician and researcher, his presentation emphasized that protecting all victims, including men, is fundamental to restoring family safety and trust. (5)
Dr. Warren Farrell, author of The Boy Crisis, previewed his forthcoming book The Man Crisis, and highlighted the social costs of father absence and the need for family-centered policy. (6)
State Representative Jamie Ray Gragg of Missouri touted his “Fathership Bill” to eliminate bureaucratic barriers that prevent fathers from participating in their children’s lives. (7) Representative Jamie Flick of Pennsylvania likewise emphasized how restoring fatherhood strengthens family resilience and societal stability. (8)
The International Council for Men and Boys calls for reforms to harmful child support and custody laws that often have the effect of pitting parents against each other, and to support legislation that ensures children have access to both parents.
The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization that celebrates the contributions of men to society and advocates for solutions to the twelve areas of disadvantage affecting men and boys globally. Achieving #GenderEqualityForMen also strengthens families and benefits women and children.
Links:
- https://www.menandboys.net/pr/mens-issues-go-mainstream-coalition-convenes-in-washington-for-mens-equality-month/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM72WfLBr6s
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1bKobiE6f0
- https://youtu.be/MuGnyj9KoJI?si=4ETUQDl1Tl6VyIPj
- https://youtu.be/OyfHfRUWNLg?si=cTfdJZwtMFlzFa3s
- https://youtu.be/G8E8vFv38M4?si=628ArhJX85p9H6Va
- https://youtu.be/NjZfveUIO90?si=bd8sOVfSQEkfQn5-
- https://youtu.be/NGEnxQ–taw?si=rMQmO7dDnuucRQ1Z