Applications open via this form: https://beta.framaforms.org/feminist-allyship-for-folks-with-male-privilege
Feminist allyship & collective care for folks with male privilege*
Statistics show that many men are not doing well in patriarchal societies. Patriarchy shapes how boys are taught to become men, often through rigid and harmful gender norms that promote emotional restriction, dominance, and self-reliance at all costs. Feminist scholars and movements have long pointed this out, showing that when men are liberated from these traditional norms, they can become more authentic, emotionally literate, connected, and free from constraining roles. This training invites participants to reflect on how masculinity has been constructed in their own lives and explores how feminist perspectives can support a deeper, more honest way of being.
At the same time, personal emancipation is not enough. Patriarchy harms women, LGBTQIAP+ people, and gender-nonconforming communities the most, and allyship requires more than good intentions. This workshop supports participants in becoming more accountable, and more reliable in their relationships and communities, by learning how to interrupt harm, question entitlement, and actively contribute to gender justice rather than unconsciously reproducing harm and inequalities.
Our approach is grounded in feminist care ethics. We understand care as a shared social and political responsibility, not a task to be carried by women or marginalized people. Through practical, embodied exercises, participants will gain tools to offer emotional support, take on care work, and practice allyship in everyday life: in their relationships, workplaces, and communities.
In this workshop we will:
- explore how patriarchy affects people with male privilege, and explore how feminism can help to emancipate from it.
- support people with male privilege* to understand, embody and promote a feminist male ally posture from an anti-patriarchal perspective*.
- support people with male privilege* to gain practical tools to offer emotional support and actively take on care tasks.
for us *anti-patriarchal, requires an approach that involves reflecting on and deconstructing other forms of dominance and oppression from a decolonial, anti-carceral abolitionist, intersectional perspective
Who is this training for
This training is specifically for folks who have access to male privilege. This includes men (heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual, queer cisgender, intersex, transgender) and non-binary individuals who consider themselves to have access to male privilege.
Practical info and accessibility
The training will take place in a private venue close to Brussels south/midi station. You will receive the exact address after confirming you participation.
Doors open at 10h15 and we will start the workshop at 10h30 sharp. Depending on participant needs we might implement a safety protocol for respiratory virus’ which means you need to be present at 10h15 latest. We close around 18h30.
We will provide tea, coffee, biscuits, and a vegan lunch on both days.
The venue was selected to meet as many neurodivergent accessibility criteria as possible (sensory sensitivities, type of lighting, ambient noise, multiple rooms, etc.). Given our limited budget, we were unfortunately not able to find a “perfect” space. The venue is not wheelchair accessible, there are some stairs to enter the main room and stairs to go to the toilet.
A quiet space is available for isolation, noise-canceling headphones available. Wide chairs without armrests for larger-bodied people.
We alternate seated and standing exercises, but you are welcome to stay seated, stand up, or leave the room at any time. This workshop is open to everyone, regardless of physical condition. However, we want to point out that the venue and the workshop content are unfortunately not fully accessible for people with reduced mobility. For any specific needs, please contact us : training@feros.be or leave us a voice message via DM (Messenger or Instagram).
The workshop will be facilitated in English. Facilitators may be able to provide occasional translation to Dutch or French and you may express yourself in these languages if that’s more accessible to you.
Financial contribution
We strive to offer our activities to those who need them, whatever their financial capacity. As a young collective, we have no fixed income and rely mostly on participant donations to organise our activities. Money should not be an obstacle to taking part in this workshop. The actual cost is 55 euros per person.
We encourage all those who can to give more, to create space for those who can contribute less financially. In particular, we are asking white, able-bodied, university-educated or otherwise privileged participants to contribute more, up to 110 euros per person.
We will send you our bank details after you have attended the workshop. If you would like to make an anonymous donation, please contact us.
Trainers
The training will be facilitated by Hugo (he/they), Jo (he/him) and Robin (he/they). All three facilitators are white and hold Belgian passports. They bring diverse lived experiences across gender and sexuality, disability, (mental) health, class, education and housing.
We are (have been) active in various movements and campaigns, including movement, the squatters’ movement, (queer) feminism, disability justice and environmental justice. We like singing, alpacca’s, rituals, yoga, hiking and dancing, among other things.
Feros and Liminal
This training is a collaboration between Feros and Liminal.
Liminal is a Brussels-based organisation for critical reflection, dialogue and experimentation around masculinity, male privilege and gender equality. Through discussion groups, training programmes, body-oriented workshops, conferences and the Positive Masculinities Festival, Liminal contributes to the emergence of pluralistic and non-violent forms of masculinity.
Feros is a collective of facilitators organising workshops that support individuals, groups, collectives and organisations that work towards social and ecological justice in Belgium, the Netherlands and France. All of our trainings are firmly rooted in a queer, intersectional, decolonial feminist political analysis. We organise both open workshops, to which anyone can apply, and bespoke workshops for existing organisations, groups or collectives.