WOW launches new partnership with Equimundo

WOW - Women of the World today are announcing a brand new partnership between WOW and long-time collaborator Equimundo, a US-based organisation dedicated to engaging men and boys in conversations around gender equality and preventing violence worldwide. As long-time collaborators, WOW and Equimundo will continue their work investigating what it means to be a man in the 21st century, believing it to be vital that people of all genders are involved in advancing gender inequality. 

Launching the MenCare Changemakers Journey, WOW and Equimundo will work to mobilise over 100 influential stakeholders from around the world from business, the media, culture, civil society, governments and more. Their aim is to understand how to achieve health and wellbeing for men and boys together with women and girls and non-binary people, and how to solve some of the biggest problems facing men, boys and manhood today. 

This will culminate in the MenCare Changemakers Global Summit on ‘Caring Manhood’ to be held in Rio de Janeiro in May 2026. Focussing on driving solutions, each of the ‘Changemakers’ will be assigned one of seven themed action tracks – tackling themes from Caring Manhood in the Workplace to Boys and Education – with gender based violence at the intersection of each; the action tracks will interrogate a problem statement that the Changemakers will work together to solve. 

This will lead into a second MenCare Changemaker Summit to be held in Australia in 2027 with more details to be announced.

An eighth strand of activity, led by WOW, is developing the role of arts, festival and storytelling as essential tools for social change. Building on WOW’s 15 year methodology, WOW will engage the Changemakers and the wider public, in Rio and beyond, to shape a global festival methodology focused specifically on Boys and Men; one that can invite wide participation, discussion and share ideas across borders. At the 2026 Summit, WOW will convene a group of world leading artists in residence to spearhead this work. Changemakers and the general public will then experience first hand WOW’s work with a day-long festival programmed by WOW in the centre of Rio featuring workshops, conversation, music, art and more.

The resulting methodology will articulate how to work across the sectors of research, advocacy, activists, artists, business, service delivery and policy making to bring stories, new narratives and lived experience to life.

Jude Kelly, WOW’s Founder Director, says: "WOW has always believed it’s vital men and boys are invited into conversations exploring how to achieve gender equality – both as part of our audiences and on stage. Throughout WOW's 15 year history we've also presented work focused on men and boys to explore exactly what it means to be a man in the 21st century, and explore the issues they are facing that are stopping progress for everyone.

“Working with Equimundo to propel a new chapter of work for WOW with the MenCare Changemakers Journey will take this conversation and debate to an even wider audience and create tangible change. Together we are embarking on a journey to discover solutions that can lead to a better world for everyone."

Gary Barker, Founder of Equimundo added: “At Equimundo we have always believed that talking about men and boys must be a dialogue with women and so to partner with Jude Kelly and her team at WOW - Women of the World seemed a perfect fit. We’re honored to be a part of this necessary conversation about men for the benefit of men – and for women – and for all of us.”

Find out more on the MenCare Changemakers Journey website.