Conference Program

Despite the significant progress achieved in recent decades toward greater gender equality, social stigmatization of men who engage in roles traditionally associated with femininity—such as childcare, education, and domestic work—continues to persist. Empirical evidence consistently shows that care work, both paid and unpaid, remains largely feminised. Within this context, many men experience social pressure to distance themselves from what is perceived as feminine in order to conform to binary gender norms and reinforce a socially recognised masculine identity. This distancing from femininity does not merely involve the rejection of specific roles, but also entails the devaluation of qualities culturally associated with care, such as empathy, emotional attentiveness, and relational responsibility. As a result, fields in which these qualities are central—particularly early childhood education and caregiving—remain marginal within dominant representations of masculinity. These dynamics contribute to the reproduction of rigid gender divisions, reinforcing occupational segregation and the unequal distribution of domestic and emotional labour. Addressing these patterns requires the active involvement of families in a critical reflection on the social construction of femininity and masculinity. Encouraging a more flexible and relational understanding of gender roles can help reveal how the sharing of care responsibilities represents not a loss of identity, but an opportunity for individual and collective enrichment. In this perspective, the recognition of so-called “new fathers”—men who actively engage in childcare and household management—is particularly significant. These fathers embody alternative models of masculinity that challenge hegemonic norms and offer younger generations more inclusive gender references. Educational initiatives within schools and family contexts play a crucial role in promoting awareness of gender stereotypes and fostering more egalitarian representations of social roles. At the same time, media and cultural narratives can contribute to normalising the image of caring and emotionally involved fathers, moving beyond persistent stereotypes of masculinity based on distance, authority, or control. Social policies, particularly those supporting paternity leave and work–life balance, are also essential in creating the structural conditions necessary for a more equitable sharing of care work. Importantly, these transformations are closely linked to the prevention of gender-based violence. Research has widely shown that rigid and hierarchical models of masculinity—grounded in dominance, emotional suppression, and power over others—constitute significant risk factors for violent behaviours. Promoting masculinities centred on care, empathy, and shared responsibility can therefore contribute to challenging the cultural foundations of gender-based violence and fostering more respectful and non-violent relational models.Only through a broader cultural shift that dismantles gender stereotypes at both symbolic and structural levels will it be possible to envision a society in which care is no longer considered a “female domain,” but a shared space of social responsibility, personal development, and the construction of more equal and violence-free gender relations.