With boys and men severely struggling across a variety of indicators of well-being, Washington Initiative for Boys and Men is officially launching the campaign for a Washington State Commission on Boys and Men. The campaign’s website, WABoysandMen.org, has an email sign-up form for those who want to receive updates on the campaign.
The goal of this grassroots campaign is for the legislature to pass a bill that creates a commission focused on the unique needs and problems of our boys and men. The text of the bill directs the commission to focus on these five areas:
- Education
- Fatherhood, Family & Relationships
- Jobs, Careers & Financial Health
- Physical & Mental Health
- Experiences of Males in Court Systems
We invite Washingtonians of all gender identities and from all corners of the state to get behind this effort, which has potential to break new ground in the overall struggle for gender equity and equality.
The commission will be composed of nine volunteer commissioners plus four members of the legislature who will be advisors. It will be administered by an executive director who will be an employee of the State of Washington.
The bill’s lead sponsor is Representative Mary Dye (R-Pomeroy). She is in her fifth term representing residents of southeast Washington. Representative Dye has three daughters, and she has been an advisor to the Washington State Women’s Commission since it was established in 2018.
Commenting on the launch of this campaign, Representative Dye said, “The Commission on Boys and Men will cooperate with other efforts to improve the well-being of our boys and men. It will build on the state’s work toward dismantling sex-based and gender-based barriers.”
Expanding state’s equity efforts
With the establishment of a Washington State Commission on Boys and Men, our state will lead the nation in its commitment to gender equity and equality for all. In the history of the United States there has never been a state-level government board, commission, or committee focused on the well-being of boys and men. The establishment of a Commission on Boys and Men will not only lead to improved outcomes for our state’s males and the people who love them. It will also send a message that will reverberate around the country that it is okay to talk about — and to care deeply about — boys and men’s struggles.
Males are more likely to be homeless; to kill themselves; to be murdered; to overdose on drugs; to end up in youth detention and prisons; to fail to complete high school; to lack a parent of the same sex in their house growing up; to lack involvement in their children’s lives; to be seriously injured or killed while earning a living; and they are underrepresented in certain professions of public importance like teaching, social work, and mental healthcare. The commission will cooperate with ongoing efforts by the state government and local governments to generate solutions to these problems.
In Washington there are commissions at the city, county, and state level focused on the female side of the gender equity coin. Now is the time to add a commission focused on issues where males are hurting. Among nonprofit advocacy groups in Washington, there is a 50 to 1 ratio of advocacy on behalf of the needs and problems of girls and women compared to boys and men. This commission will help close that gap.
Blair Daly filed a form with the Public Disclosure Commission to register Washington Initiative for Boys and Men LLC as the sponsor of this grassroots lobbying campaign. The campaign is receiving advice from the Global Initiative for Boys and Men. The launch date of the campaign, November 1st, coincides with the first day of ‘Movember’ (aka ‘No Shave November’). Movember is an annual event to raise awareness about men’s health problems.