(WO)Men in Power?

Which gender is better off these days? Men still rule the world; they dominate in politics, business, and finance. They earn more. They don't have to be pregnant. Or worry nearly as much as women do about rape or domestic violence. Seems pretty good, right? Well, not according to one University of Chicago student who started a group called Men in Power. And to be honest, it's rather interesting.

Let's look at the personal. Nearly 25% of women are raped or physically assaulted by a current or former partner/date during their lifetime. 25%. Can you get much scarier than that? Absolutely not. But, still, 7.6% of men face the same thing. Obviously, it's a much bigger problem for women, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a problem for men. 7.6% is still a lot of men.

Yes, 87% of stalkers are men. 83% of spouse murderers are men. 84% of spouse abuse victims are women and 86% of dating abuse victims are women. Clearly this is not a balanced view. But yes, the remaining 14% of dating abuse victims who are men still deserve help.

Let's look at the professional. Women earn 58% of bachelor's degrees and 59% of master's degrees. And it's well known at this point that men have lost more jobs in the recession than women. Soon we could have a work force that is majority women. Granted, women still only earn 80 cents for every man's dollar. But you could say the future is not necessarily all bad for women and rosy for men. The world is getting more complicated than that.

So do we need a men's group? Are men at a disadvantage? My guess? Perhaps and no. Men in Power has sparked all sorts of news and a fair amount of outrage. How dare they? Well, they dare. And I can't say I think it's necessarily such a bad thing. Do I think men are at a disadvantage in this world? No, but then, I don't necessarily think that the members of Men in Power believe that either. They never complained that men were at a severe disadvantage and had to organize to overcome their historical problems. If they did, I might have a few qualms. Did I mention that 83% of spouse murderers are men? Or that men don't have to get pregnant?

But if men want to organize and discuss issues that DO affect them, how is that possibly a problem? Paternity rights are nowhere near equal to maternity rights. Our president is asking men to step up and be fathers; he is asking men to realize that being a man is about raising a child and being responsible for a child, not getting a woman knocked up. And if we want men to step up and be responsible, shouldn't we give them the same rights and protection as women? Who was it that assumed that all women are better child raisers than men are?

And while very few men are raped or abused, the few that are typically face even more stigmatization than women do, which is truly saying something. Shouldn't they get the help and support they need?

And what about these new college stats? Is it so wrong that Men in Power wants to encourage more men to further their education and go into medicine, law, and business? Of course not. The more qualified and smart people we have entering these fields the better off we are. Who cares what gender they are?

Finally, Men in Power talks about mentoring. They have formed a program called Little Men in Power. There are 10.4 million single mother families in this country. There are 2.5 million single father families. Interestingly enough, that's men gaining equality. But still, the majority of single parents are women. Which means boys growing up without a father. And there are a lot of them. And even in families with two parents, the father is more likely to be absent (although that number, too, is becoming more equitable.) Big Brothers and Big Sisters always have a shortage of big brothers. Of men. So, to me, Little Men in Power sounds pretty great. What better role model for a boy in middle school than a boy in college who is working to excel? Seems like a good message to send to me.

So let Men in Power grow. Let it expand. Let more groups spring up. I do not see this as a threat to women's groups; I see it as a separate entity. There are important points for them to make and important work for them to do. And if they can fight, especially in areas that are overlooked for men, then good for them.

No, men do not face the plethora of obstacles in life that women still do. But as I said before, no one was claiming that they do. And just because they have fewer barriers doesn't mean that the existing ones are any harder to overcome.

After all, true equality is equality for all. In every arena. Any man want to try getting pregnant?