Now and Men

About Now and Men

What role can men play in achieving gender equality? Why is feminism good for men? How are rigid ideas about masculinity holding back our lives—and how are people around the world challenging them? These are the questions at the heart of Now and Men, a podcast hosted by social researchers Dr Stephen Burrell (Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Australia) and Sandy Ruxton (Independent Researcher and Honorary Fellow at Durham University, UK). We explore masculinity and change in the lives of men and boys today, diving into issues such as gender-based violence, fatherhood, men’s health, politics and the environment. Grounded in feminist thinking, our conversations connect big ideas to everyday experiences—showing how gender shapes all of us, and how men can be part of building a more equal world. At a time when regressive versions of masculinity are resurging—amplified by political leaders, online influencers, even podcasters—we spotlight the people pushing back. Each episode features inspiring voices working to engage men and boys in positive, transformative ways and imagining feminist futures. New episodes drop every month. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts, and join us in exploring what healthy, caring, equitable paths forward can look like for men. Questions or comments? We’d love to hear from you at nowandmen@gmail.com.

Publisher

Sandy Ruxton & Stephen Burrell

Category

education · science · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 Jul 2021

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

72 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026

   Patriarchy, Feminist Solidarity and a World on Fire - Natasha Walter

   How do the crises of climate breakdown, growing economic inequality, and rising misogyny intersect, and what is the connection with patriarchy and men’s practices? Why do the impacts of the climate crisis – such as increased men’s violence, food scarcity, and 'natural' disasters – fall disproportionately on women and girls? How is 'strongman' political leadership consolidating power and systematically rolling back women's rights and undermining environmental action? What is the role of the broligarchy, AI, and the manosphere in accelerating these harms, spreading misogyny and damaging the lives of boys and men as well as women and girls? These are some of the key questions we discuss with Natasha Walter, inspired by her new book ‘Feminism for a World on Fire’ (https://www.virago.co.uk/titles/natasha-walter/feminism-for-a-world-on-fire/9780349018799/). Natasha highlights how feminist movements urgently need to navigate internal divisions, resist the individualisation of activism, and build coalitions which can respond collectively to the challenges of the nature and climate emergencies and hypermasculine authoritarianism. Drawing inspiration from examples such as the women-led Kurdish militia in Rojava, Syria and her 15-year directorship of the UK charity Women for Refugee Women (https://www.refugeewomen.co.uk/), Natasha argues that care must become a core economic and societal priority, to which men must contribute. We conclude by exploring Natasha’s reflections on her long-standing involvement in feminist activism, and her confidence in men's capacity to challenge patriarchy and act as meaningful allies. Natasha has worked as a journalist for the Guardian, Independent and Observer newspapers in the UK, and is the founder and former director of Women for Refugee Women. She has been Visiting Professor of Women’s Rights at Cambridge University and is currently Honorary Professor at the Centre for Climate Crime and Climate Justice (https://ccccjustice.org/) at Queen Mary University of London. Her previous books include ‘Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism’, ‘The New Feminism’, and the memoir ‘Before the Light Fades’. Natasha’s website (https://natashawalter.co.uk/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/natashawalter_writer/) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-walter-74b448335/) Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/natashawalter.bsky.social) TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@natasha.walter) Episode timeline Intro The relationship between climate breakdown, economic inequality, and misogyny (03:18-05:13) The gendered impacts of climate change (05:13-10:00) Men in the driving seat of global heating (10:00-11:56) Rising heat and violence against women (11:56-14:08) ‘Strongmen’ rolling back women’s rights and environmental action (14:08-17:32) Loss of faith in democratic institutions (17:32-22:07) The role of ‘tech’ companies and the ‘broligarchy’ (22:07-26:56) How men can help to confront these harms as allies (26:56-31:25) Break Building alliances in the face of divisions among feminists (31:35-35:14) Learning from Rojava (35:14-39:55) Natasha’s experience of founding Women for Refugee Women (39:55-44:15) Centring care and connection for social change (44:15-46:12) Natasha’s activist journey and her move into environmentalism (46:12-49:35) Avoiding replicating patriarchal dynamics within social movements (49:35-55:03) Conclusion (55:03-01:04:29) More info ‘Woman of the Hour’ film (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_of_the_Hour) ‘Human rights violated by Swiss inaction on climate, ECHR rules in landmark case’ (Guardian) (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/09/human-rights-violated-inaction-climate-echr-rules-landmark-case) ‘The Future Starts with Us’ by Gordon Brown (https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/The-Future-Starts-With-Us/Gordon-Brown/9781398514188) ‘Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism’ book (https://natashawalter.co.uk/living-dolls/) ‘End Times Fascism’ by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor (https://naomiklein.org/end-times-fascism/) ‘‘Woman, life, freedom’: The Syrian feminists who forged a new world in a land of war’ (Guardian, by Natasha) (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/09/woman-life-freedom-the-syrian-feminists-who-forged-a-new-world-in-a-land-of-war) ‘The revolutionary women of Rojava are in grave danger. That has consequences for us all’ (Guardian, by Natasha) (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/22/revolutionary-women-rojava-grave-danger-syria) 'Nearly all women arriving on small boats have been raped, says Shabana Mahmood' (Guardian) (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/04/women-small-boats-raped-shabana-mahmood-asylum-migration) Peter Kropotkin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Kropotkin) Music: 'Now is time (https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/jWvhCK1qwBSD4w4Y9HvhNI5VoWH?domain=open.spotify.com)', courtesy of Chaps' Choir (https://www.chapschoir.com/) and Dom Stichbury (https://www.dominicstichbury.com/). Please note that the transcript is a rough estimation and is likely to contain errors. Please do not reproduce without permission.

2. 

   10 Sept 2026

   Making Sense of Men's Femicide Narratives - Dr Martín Hernán Di Marco

   ‘Femicide’ is broadly defined as the killing of women and girls due to their gender. So how do men who have perpetrated this fatal violence construct narrative histories to explain, justify, or process their actions? What is the role of emotions – fear, helplessness, pain, and anger – in their narratives? How can this help us to move beyond simplistic, individualising societal understandings of men who commit homicide, and what are the tensions of listening to the stories they tell? To what extent is femicide a reflection not only of individual acts of extreme violence but also of deeply ingrained gender norms, patriarchal power, and cultural impunity? Based on extensive interview data with men convicted of intimate femicide across multiple countries in Latin America – which has seen particularly powerful feminist anti-femicide movements in recent years – in this episode Dr Martín Hernán Di Marco explores the intersection between violence perpetration and life-courses, masculinities, and social networks and systems. He addresses the limitations of medicalised approaches which explain lethal gender-based violence primarily through individual psychopathologies, mental health conditions, or personal substance abuse history. By examining the structural factors that contribute to femicide, as well as male-on-male homicide, he argues that it is possible to develop more effective interventions and alternative narratives that not only respond to violence, but also work to prevent it. Originally from Argentina, Martín is an Associate Professor at OsloMet University in Norway. He’s also a Managing Editor of NORMA: International Journal for Masculinity Studies (https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/rnor20). His book, entitled ‘Taking Lives: Narratives of Latin American Femicide Perpetrators (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-97367-3)’, was published in 2025 by Palgrave Macmillan. Martín’s profile page (https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/5KRLCnxyvXc6qo70Lc9fQQiJAGWO?domain=oslomet.no) ResearchGate (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martin-Di-Marco) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mart%C3%ADn-hern%C3%A1n-di-marco-39b34332/) If you need support: UK National Domestic Abuse Helpline (https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/): 0808 2000 247 USA National Domestic Violence Hotline (https://www.thehotline.org/): 1 800 799 7233 Australian domestic and sexual violence counselling service - 1800RESPECT (https://1800respect.org.au/): 1800 737 732 No More Global Directory of domestic and sexual violence helplines and services (https://nomoredirectory.org/) Episode timeline: Intro What femicide means (02:00-04:37) Anti-femicide movements in Latin America (04:37-06:25) What led Martín to this research (06:25-08:12) His relationship with feminism (08:12-11:28) The role of narratives in making sense of men’s violence (11:28-14:34) Changing the public story about men who use violence (14:34-17:02) How perpetrators rationalise their actions (17:02-23:11) The role of emotions in violence (23:11-27:03) Break What femicide and male-male homicide have to do with masculinity (27:15-35:51) The importance of place (35:51-37:34) The tensions involved in speaking to men who’ve used violence (37:34-41:58) Researching the role of wider social networks (41:58-43:21) Possibilities for desistance and behaviour change (43:21-48:36) The limitations of typologies and pathologising perpetrators (48:36-51:57) Attacks on women’s rights in Argentina under Javier Milei (51:57-57:20) Conclusion (57:26-01:04:47) More info: UNODC Femicide Framework (https://www.unodc.org/unodc/data-and-analysis/statistics/crime/femicide-framework.html) Ni una menos movement (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ni_una_menos) Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention (https://www.ourwatch.org.au/what-is-primary-prevention) Prof Dabney Evans (https://sph.emory.edu/profile/faculty/dabney-evans) Prof Lois Presser (https://sociology.utk.edu/people/lois-presser/) Hannah Arendt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_Arendt) Femicide in Ciudad Juárez (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Femicide_in_Ciudad_Ju%C3%A1rez) Rita Segato (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Laura_Segato) Twelve-Step Program (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-step_program) Javier Milei - Argentina (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javier_Milei) Gabriel Boric - Chile (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Boric) Dr Gwen Adshead (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwen_Adshead) ‘The Devil You Know’ book (https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571357628-the-devil-you-know/) Reith Lectures 2024 – ‘Four Questions about Violence’ (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0025cmg) Volunteering Matters (formerly Community Service Volunteers) (https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/) CSV Volunteering - The Borstals Programme (https://www.attend.org.uk/node/1115) A bestselling true crime author, and the crimes he’s accused of – Guardian podcast (https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2026/aug/18/bestselling-true-author-christopher-berry-dee-crimes-podcast) Music: 'Now is time (https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/jWvhCK1qwBSD4w4Y9HvhNI5VoWH?domain=open.spotify.com)', courtesy of Chaps' Choir (https://www.chapschoir.com/) and Dom Stichbury (https://www.dominicstichbury.com/). Please note that the transcript is a rough estimation and is likely to contain errors. Please do not reproduce without permission.

3. 

   13 Aug 2026

   Seizing the Moment: Changing the Political Discourse on Men and Boys in the UK - Alistair Strathern MP

   How is policy towards men and boys developing in the UK, at a time when masculinity is on the agenda more than ever? What is the approach of the governing Labour Party, and what more could they do? And how can we make sure the voices and experiences of women and girls are not sidelined in the process? What is the gendered culture of the UK Parliament like today? And how can men in politics model a different kind of masculinity? Following the huge political upheaval in the UK recently with the appointment of Andy Burnham as Prime Minister, in this episode we talk to Alistair Strathern MP about some of the key policy issues currently under discussion in relation to masculinity and gender equality. These include extending paternity leave, increasing the numbers of male teachers, protecting young people from the manosphere, and men’s role in preventing violence against women. Alistair is Labour MP for the constituency of Hitchin, just north of London. He co-chairs the Labour Group for Men and Boys, which is “a campaigning group of MPs pushing the Labour Government to speak to young men and build a better masculinity”. He is a former maths teacher and climate insurance lead at the Bank of England. He’s just been re-appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Treasury, acting as a two-way link between ministers and backbench MPs. Alistair’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/alistairstrathernmp (https://linktr.ee/alistairstrathernmp) Episode timeline: Intro Why the Labour Group on Men and Boys was set up (02:31-04:17) Labour’s approach to men and boys (04:17-05:34) What issues the group is focusing on (05:34-10:45) Improving parental leave for fathers (10:45-13:34) How to make sure women’s voices and experiences aren’t marginalised (13:34-16:09) Men’s role in challenging violence against women (16:09-18:15) The discourse on male role models (18:15-21:52) The gendered culture of Parliament (21:52-24:50) The role of men politicians in offering leadership (24:50-26:25) Where Alistair’s passion for masculinity issues comes from (26:25-28:48) Men’s responses to the nature and climate emergencies (28:48-31:25) Seizing the opportunities of the current moment (31:25-32:59) Count Binface and masculinity? (32:59-34:48) Conclusion: Policy considerations surrounding men and masculinities (34:48-49:26) More info: The Spooky Men’s Chorale (https://spookymen.com/) Beyond Equality (https://www.beyondequality.org/) FSB – Federation of Small Businesses (https://www.fsb.org.uk/) ‘Building Bridges’: Principles for work with men and boys to end violence against women and girls (https://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/men-womens-organisations-launch-principles-for-work-with-men-and-boys-to-end-vawg/) Equimundo (https://www.equimundo.org/) Mencare (https://www.mencare.org/) White Ribbon UK (https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/) Prof Becky Francis (https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/57856-becky-francis/about) Harriet Harman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Harman) Prof Steven Roberts (https://www.nowandmen.net/episode/steven-roberts) Music: 'Now is time (https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/jWvhCK1qwBSD4w4Y9HvhNI5VoWH?domain=open.spotify.com)', courtesy of Chaps' Choir (https://www.chapschoir.com/) and Dom Stichbury (https://www.dominicstichbury.com/). Please note that the transcript is a rough estimation and is likely to contain errors. Please do not reproduce without permission.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

5,680

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

3.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

4.8 / 5

34 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 64 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

66

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

85

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Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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