Global State of Men and Boys Report 2026

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Henry Herrera

Telephone: +1-301-801-0608

Email: info@menandboys.net

Global State of Men and Boys Report 2026: Press Conference Will Spotlight Global Quest for Gender Equality for Men and Boys

November 12, 2026 – An international press conference will spotlight the progress of men and boys around the world in achieving gender equality. The event will be held on Tuesday, November 17 beginning at 11:00am Washington DC time. The conference will feature the ground-breaking launch of a new annual assessment, the Global State of Men and Boys Report 2026 (1).

The Zoom link to participate in the press conference is: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83299658220?pwd=ufTinmOb1DDaCjRaOVTOZZApTp40hf.1

The event will feature the following presenters:

  • David Maywald (Australia): Launch of the Global State of Men and Boys Report 2026
  • Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj (India): Reforming the Judicial System of India to Assure Fairness for Men
  • Tom Golden (United States): Testosterone Levels Undergird Many Aspects of Male Disadvantage
  • Kat Anna (Canada): Establishing an Office for Men at the United Nations
  • Mike Bell (England): Eliminating Educational Disparities of Boys in England

The meeting also will allow time for audience questions directed to the panelists.

Report Summary

The inaugural Global State of Men and Boys Report 2026, published by the International Council for Men and Boys (ICMB), presents a landmark international assessment of 12 major disparities affecting males. Drawing on detailed analyses of more than 50 countries, international statistics and seven case studies, it documents substantial disadvantages in education, health, suicide, violence, criminal justice, homelessness, workplace safety, fatherhood, and institutional fairness. These interconnected challenges affect men and boys throughout their lives, with far-reaching consequences for families and society.

The findings are deeply concerning: Four disparities are assessed as Critical Neglect, three as Severe Disadvantage, and five as Significant Disparity. Not one achieves Moderate Progress or better. The report concludes that institutional responses have been profoundly inadequate, calling for evidence-based reforms, greater accountability, equal compassion for both sexes, and meaningful progress towards genuine gender equality.

Following are the 12 areas of male disparity that are analyzed in the Global State of Men and Boys Report 2026:

  1. Education: Women now outpace men in tertiary enrollments globally (2).
  2. Health: Men die more than five years earlier than women worldwide (3). Their suicide rate is nearly three times higher (4).
  3. Boy Crisis: Boys make up the majority of children engaged in hazardous child labor (5).
  4. False Allegations: Men are the target of false allegations more often than women (6).
  5. Victims of Violence: Men account for 81% of homicide victims globally (7).
  6. Fatherhood: A survey in 37 North American and European countries found that joint physical custody was awarded in only 5% of cases (8).
  7. Criminal System: Men experience harsher treatment at every step – arrest, charging, conviction, and sentencing — of the criminal-legal process (9).
  8. Partner Abuse: Men are equally likely as women to be victims of domestic violence, but face skepticism and ridicule when they seek help (10).
  9. Workplace Safety: Men account for 92–95% of workplace fatalities in major industrial economies (11).
  10. Homelessness: Men comprise an estimated 76% of the global homeless population (12).
  11. Adoption and Reproductive Rights: Fathers are usually left out of decisions about adoption and reproduction. (13)
  12. Media Portrayals: A multi-country analysis found that 69% of news coverage of men was unfavorable (14).

The International Council for Men and Boys consists of over 100 organizations around the world that are working to end the 12 sex disparities that affect men and boys worldwide. https://www.menandboys.net.  Donate to ICMB: https://www.menandboys.net/donate/

Links:

  1. https://www.menandboys.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ICMB-Global-State-of-Men-and-Boys-Report-2026-US-Letter.pdf
  2. https://www.unesco.org/en/gender-equality/education/boys
  3. https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years)
  4. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/326948/WHO-MSD-MER-19.3-eng.pdf
  5. https://www.ilo.org/publications/major-publications/child-labour-global-estimates-2020-trends-and-road-forward
  6. https://endtodv.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8-Country-False-Allegation-Survey-8-3.15.2023.xlsx
  7. https://www.justsecurity.org/104722/gender-battlefield-bias-civilian-men/?utm
  8. 37 North American and Europeancountries
  9. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256027303_Estimating_Gender_Disparities_in_Federal_Criminal_Cases
  10. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261543769_References_Examining_Assaults_by_Women_on_Their_Spouses_or_Male_Partners_An_Updated_Annotated_Bibliography
  11. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hf1zRYHNDJjvunWWeoOl33VTVmPADtijzMniAmxBPRE/edit#gid=381346579
  12. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hf1zRYHNDJjvunWWeoOl33VTVmPADtijzMniAmxBPRE/edit#gid=1526345150
  13. https://www.newsweek.com/give-men-reproductive-rights-too-opinion-1883336#:~:text=When%20men%20and%20women%20enjoy,key%20to%20ensuring%20legalized%20abortion
  14. https://www.menandboys.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Summary-Media-and-Male-Identity-7th-draft.pdf