"Men in politics for equality" project
Since 2017, Emakunde has work to encourage men in political roles to promote equality in their sphere of influence and, in particular, to promote the personal and collective commitment of other men to this cause. Since the project was launched, around 500 male politicians have participated in it.
To begin with, two groups of men in politics were created: one within the Basque Government, and the other at the municipal level, in collaboration with EUDEL. These spaces for training, reflection and exchange boost the participation and engagement of men in politics with equality, insofar as they are leaders and decision makers.
This video summarizes the ideas and objectives from the first phase of the experience.
Following the positive rating of the experience, in order to continue with the initiative, a second phase based on a draft equality guide for men in public office was launched in early 2020. Five working sessions were held (two with Basque Government politicians, two with local politicians and one joint session) in which a total of 25 men took part.
The process was put on hold pending the results of the 2022 reform of the Basque Law for Equality, which introduced new mandates aimed at encouraging men's involvement and the promotion of diverse and egalitarian masculinities.
In 2026, Emakunde joined the work carried out by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, by translating and disseminating the guide for men in politics called the Sarajevo Tool for engaging male politicians in achieving gender equality.
In April 2026, a proposal for the creation of a Basque Network of Men in Politics for Equality was publicly presented within the framework of the conference Men in Politics for Equality: Experiences and Proposals in a Global Context of Anti-Egalitarian Backsliding.
Its creation is envisaged under measure 1.7 of the Gizonduz 2030 Strategy and builds on the work carried out since 2017 with men holding political office. This initiative complements and reinforces efforts aimed at women in politics, notably the Virginia Woolf Basqueskola project, promoted by Emakunde and EUDEL.
The Network is conceived as a discreet and safe space for awareness-raising, training, exchange, commitment, and action in support of equality between women and men and against male violence against women. It is tailored to the needs of men in politics and takes their diversity into account.
In an international context marked by anti-equality trends and backlash, the Network aims to promote political advocacy for the advancement of women's rights and gender equality, the prevention of male violence against women, the promotion of egalitarian masculinities, and the fostering of a care-centred democracy.
The Network is intended for men holding political positions, including political advisers, in public institutions or political parties in the Basque Country. It will provide information, training, guidance, materials, and other resources, all adapted to their specific needs.
It includes different forms of participation, namely participant, collaborator, and promoter, depending on each person's interests, needs, level of commitment, and availability.
For more information, please consult the Draft Founding Document of the Network.
If you would like to join the Network, please complete the following form.
From 2019 onwards, training processes have being carried out with male politicians belonging to the following public authorities:
• Local organisation of Ayala
• Local organisation of Campezo-Montaña Alavesa.
• Municipality of Amurrio.
• Local organisation of Enkarterri.
• Provincial Council of Alava.
In 2021, a new line of work was established consisting of regular online sessions in the form of training pills designed especially for men in politics and open to all men who hold political posts in the autonomous, regional and local administrations, the Basque Parliament and the provincial assemblies.
- Miguel Lorente: "El papel de los cargos políticos en el fomento de la igualdad" - 18/05/2021
- Ander Bergara: "Hombres, igualdad y políticas públicas" - 10/06/2021
- Josetxu Riviere: "Identidad masculina, poder y formas de liderazgo" - 24/10/2021
- Pilar Kaltzada: "Declaraciones, discursos y acciones de los hombres con cargos poli´ticos ante la violencia machista" - 24/11/2021 (YouTube)
- Ander Bergara: "Principales cambios de la reforma de la ley vasca de igualdad con especial referencia a las medidas dirigidas a los hombres" - 18/05/2022 (YouTube)
- Pilar Legarra: "Usos del tiempo y participación política en términos de igualdad" - 05/07/2022 (YouTube)
- Miquel Missé: "Masculinidades, diversidad y políticas públicas" - 2022/11/28. (YouTube)
- Gary Barker: "En papel de los hombres políticos en la promoción de la igualdad" - 13/12/2022 (YouTube)
- Alan Greig: "Manosfera y el papel de los hombres ante este tipo de espacios" - 24/10/2023 (YouTube)
- Hilario Sáez Méndez: "El papel de los hombres como agentes de cambio por la igualdad en el contexto actual de reacción neomachista" - 02/12/2025 (YouTube)
- Rodrigo Montero Cano: "Redes por la igualdad de hombres en puestos de toma de decisiones" - 17/02/2026 (YouTube)
This initiative with men in politics was used as an example of good practice at the #InvolveMen International Seminar held in Brussels on 19 November 2019 by the Congress of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR).
The work carried out in this area was considered a good practice also in the State of the World’s fathers 2021, produced by Equimundo in collaboration with Save the Children, Oxfam, MenEngage Alliance and the United Nations Foundation.
It has also been considered a good practice by UN Women and, in fact, has been taken as a source of inspiration for the creation of the Network for Equality of Men in Public Office in Arab countries, within the framework of the international project Dare to Care.
Furthermore, since 2025, the initiative has been included in the catalogue of best practices of Radio Televisión Española's Objetivo Igualdad (Equality Objective) project.
