.............“In 1997, Hillary Clinton made a famous speech in Beijing about women’s rights. Sadly, many of the things that she wanted to change are still true today.
But what stood out for me the most was that less than 30 per cent of the audience were male.
How can we affect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feel welcome to participate in the conversation?”
“Men, I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation.” [Applause break]
“Gender equality is your issue too.
Because to date, I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued less by society despite my needing his presence, as a child, as much as my mother’s.
I’ve seen young men suffering from mental illness, unable to ask for help, for fear it would make them less of a man.
In fact, in the U.K., suicide is the biggest killer of men, between 20 to 49, eclipsing road accidents, cancer and coronary heart disease.
I’ve seen men made fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what constitutes male success.
Men don’t have the benefits of equality, either.”

“We don’t want to talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that they are.
When they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence.
If men don’t have to be aggressive, women won’t be compelled to be submissive.
If men don’t need to control, women won’t have to be controlled.”.............