Listener phone in - should there be a Minister for Men? Could the role ultimately help women?
Woman's Hour
BBC
4.1 • 3K Ratings
🗓️ 6 September 2023
⏱️ 58 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On yesterday's programme, the Conservative MP for Don Valley, Nick Fletcher, championed the idea of a Minister for Men. He says statistics show that 75% of people taking their lives are men, that the life expectancy of men is 3.7 years lower than it is for women, that 83% of rough sleepers are men and that 96% of the prison population is men.
Do you agree with Nick? Could a Minister help tackle some of the issues many young men seem to be struggling with, such as masculinity, pornography, consent and their role in society? Could a minister for men also make life better for women? And could it be a way to tackle the rise of influencers such as Andrew Tate – a self-declared misogynist?
Today Nuala McGovern talks to Michael Conroy, the founder of Men at Work, which focuses on unpicking some of the social influences on the values and beliefs of boys and young men – and how some of those influences can manifest in a range of problematic behaviours.
Hear him and have your say live on air by calling Nuala. The phone lines open at 0800 on Wednesday 6 September. Call us on 03700 100 444 or you can text the programme - the number is 84844. Texts will be charged at your standard message rate. On social media we're @BBCWomansHour. And you can email us through our website.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer Lisa Jenkinson Studio Managers: Donald McDonald and Emma Harth
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself. |
| 0:03.7 | My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a Load of Sport Podcasts. |
| 0:08.4 | I'm lucky to do that at the BBC because I get to work with a leading journalist, experienced |
| 0:12.2 | pundits and the biggest sport stars. |
| 0:14.3 | Together we bring you untold stories and fascinating insights straight from the players' |
| 0:18.5 | mouths. |
| 0:19.5 | But the best thing about doing this at the BBC is our unique access to the sport world. |
| 0:25.0 | What that means is that we can bring you podcasts that create a real connection to |
| 0:28.8 | dedicated sports fans across the UK. |
| 0:31.2 | So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more. |
| 0:41.0 | Hello, this is Nula Mugavan and you're listening to the Woman's Hour podcast. |
| 0:45.8 | Hello and welcome to Woman's Hour. |
| 0:47.7 | Well, if you tuned in yesterday, you'll have heard us discussing the idea of a minister |
| 0:52.7 | for men. There is a minister for women and equalities, as you might know, |
| 0:56.5 | that targets policies across government departments. |
| 0:59.3 | Well, Nick Fletcher, the Conservative MP for Don Valley, is calling for a role that would focus |
| 1:04.1 | on policies pertaining to men. |
| 1:06.4 | Nick believes that men and boys face such difficulties today that they need extra help. |
| 1:11.7 | He talked about statistics that show 75% of people taking their lives are men, |
| 1:16.7 | that the life expectancy of men is 3.7 years lower than it is for women. |
| 1:21.2 | And in addition, 83% of rough sleepers are men and 96% of the prison population are men. |
| 1:29.2 | And if the outcomes for men and boys improved, he said that would be of benefit to women as well. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.