What if the digital spaces where boys and men play, learn, and connect could also model care, collaboration, and healthier masculinities?<\/p>\n
For much of Equimundo\u2019s history, our work focused on intensive, in-person group education. Those experiences remain powerful, and in many contexts, essential. But in an increasingly digital world, they are no longer sufficient on their own. That is why we have been developing <\/span>hybrid and digital solutions<\/span><\/a> as part of our <\/span>Programmes<\/span><\/a> strategy to\u00a0 help bridge this gap and <\/span>meet boys and men where they are today, while advancing what works to promote gender justice<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n Equimundo\u2019s State of American Men 2025<\/span><\/i><\/a> paints a clear picture of the current landscape, including the growing influence of online spaces in shaping men\u2019s identities, relationships, and worldviews. Too often, these spaces reward harm, outrage, and rigid versions of masculinity, pulling boys and men toward content and communities that profit from fear and grievance. But these same digital environments can also hold real promise. They are where young people play, learn, organize, and experiment with who they are. If we are serious about shifting gender norms at scale, we cannot afford to treat the digital world as separate from \u201creal life.\u201d It is a part of real life.<\/span><\/p>\n Building Capacity Through Digital Learning and Support<\/b><\/p>\n One way we\u2019re advancing this strategic shift is through<\/span> expanded digital learning and support for the practitioners driving gender-transformative work.<\/span> We have developed modular, self-paced and <\/span>open-source online learning courses<\/span><\/a>\u00a0 that translate decades of evidence into formats that educators, facilitators, policymakers, and practitioners can use in real-world settings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the center of this effort is <\/span>Equimundo\u2019s Approach to Programs<\/span><\/i><\/a>, a foundational course to help practitioners move from evidence to action, emphasizing\u00a0 practical tools, real-world examples, and flexible application, drawing on Equimundo\u2019s experience and that of partner organizations.<\/span><\/p>\n We are also investing in on-demand, practitioner-centered support for the moments people need it most. Aly,<\/span><\/a> an AI-powered chatbot accessible online and via WhatsApp functions as a digital coach for facilitators, educators, NGOs, and public institutions working with children, boys, men, families, and communities. Designed with a gender-transformative lens, Aly draws on our extensive body of programs, tools, and resources to complement – rather than replace – human judgement or relationships, offering\u00a0 tailored guidance for\u00a0 planning and adapting activities, delivering engaging sessions, and responding to challenges as they arise. <\/span><\/p>\n Looking ahead, we will continue to expand our digital learning offerings with courses based on specific initiatives such as <\/span>Plusieurs fa\u00e7ons d'\u00eatre<\/span><\/i><\/a>, a sex education program for 15 to 19 year olds, and new course for preschool teachers in Mexico, focused on early childhood development and fostering inclusive, safe learning environments that we\u2019re co-designing with Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey, Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n Delivering Programs Through Digital and Hybrid Approaches\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Beyond training practitioners, we are also reimagining how gender-transformative programs themselves can be delivered through digital and hybrid models, addressing persistent challenges related to recruitment and retention in in-person programming.<\/span><\/p>\n In Colombia, we worked closely with partners to adapt <\/span>Programme P<\/b><\/a>, our flagship methodology to engage fathers via WhatsApp. Through extensive co-design, workshopping, and testing with fathers in Bogot\u00e1, we developed both hybrid and fully digital versions of the program, guided by a trained human facilitator. The adapted program, <\/span>Apapachar<\/b>, has been endorsed by Colombia\u2019s Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (ICBF) and is being embedded within the Colombian early-childhood development system.<\/span><\/p>\n Recognizing that fully digital programs don\u2019t\u00a0 fit every context or community, we\u2019ve been intentionally rethinking where and how digital tools can add value, without replacing the in-person relationships that remain central to our work. As part of this effort, we are refining and testing a <\/span>Digital Studio Toolkit<\/b> to help program designers and implementers integrate meaningful digital touchpoints in practical, flexible ways at each stage of the program, from recruitment and training to program implementation and evaluation in real time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Working Within Online Communities<\/b><\/p>\n Our work through <\/span>Laboratoire Link Up<\/span><\/a>\u00a0 brings this work directly into the online spaces where boys and men already spend time. Rather than treating online harm as something to\u00a0 address only after it occurs, we focus on understanding how digital communities function in practice, particularly the roles of moderators, platform norms, and informal leadership in shaping behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n Working alongside moderators from some of the largest online communities, we are testing tools and resources within their own Reddit spaces. Together, we have co-developed a framework designed specifically for online spaces which translates familiar concepts such as mental health check-ins, inviting prompts, connection-building, and restorative responses into language that resonates with gamers and deeply online communities.. This approach meets people where they are while promoting healthier interaction and more pro-social norms across digital spaces.<\/span><\/p>\n This work reflects a core strategic insight – that change does not happen through content alone, and sustainable impact requires designing for how systems operate in the real world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Learning Where Boys Already Are Through Games<\/b><\/p>\n