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For media inquiries, please contact: 📧 press@equimundo.org

February 26, 2026 – We are officially 90 days from the inaugural MenCare Changemaker Summit 2026 in Rio. Leaders from civil society, culture, business, media and government will unite in Rio de Janeiro for the MenCare Changemaker Summit 2026 – a four-day global convening to advance caring manhood and gender equality. This first-of-its-kind international summit taking place from 27 to 30 May 2026 will confront the challenges facing boys and men today, explore solutions to gender-based violence and catalyze a new global movement for caring and connected masculinities. 

Presented in partnership with leading gender equality arts charity WOW – Women of the World (WOW), the Summit will engage thousands of people in Rio, creating an unprecedented space for collaboration. The Summit will reimagine the role of men in care and equality – and how we can accelerate wellbeing for men and boys, together with women and girls and people of all gender identities. It marks a key milestone in a two-year journey for the 100 MenCare Changemakers that began in Reykjavik and continues in Melbourne in 2027.

Gary Barker, Founder and CEO, Equimundo says, “There is a global attention to what’s up with men and boys – and how it relates to the unfinished journey to full equality for women and girls.  In this crucial moment when there is backlash to gender equality, the summit and changemaker journey are focused on solutions. Activists, policymakers and artists are all essential for this, inspiring us to the changes we all need to see.”

Jude Kelly, Founder Director of WOW – Women of the World says, “WOW has always believed in the importance of ensuring that men and boys are a key part of all conversations about gender equality, and inviting them to be part of the solutions. Now more than ever it’s critical we all come together to achieve  change. The first ever MenCare Changemakers Summit is an important step in the journey towards equality, and WOW is proud to be working in partnership with Equimundo to convene this incredible group of MenCare Changemakers. We’re thrilled a public festival will take place as part of the four day program – welcoming thousands more to explore a better world together.“

Meeting the Current Moment 

The urgency of this gathering could not be clearer. From the manosphere to men’s health, boys’ challenges in education and increasing push back against women’s rights, the global conversations around men and masculinity are gaining increasing global visibility, and too often become divisive and distorted.

We don’t need to look far for examples of rampant misogyny. This week the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team openly mocked and dismissed the far more decorated U.S. Women’s Hockey Team on a phone call with President Donald Trump. A video of the interaction was circulated for the world to see. This is just one example of many, and that is why Equimundo is accelerating the push for collective action and tangible solutions. There is real strength in numbers, and the MenCare Changemaker Summit Rio 2026 is there to meet the moment. 

A central focus of the summit will be the role of men and boys in the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV), alongside implementing solutions to GBV and the social structures that sustain it. While policy shifts are crucial, lasting change only happens when the culture itself evolves. That’s why we’ve recruited 100 MenCare Changemakers to be the leaders of this two-year journey where we will challenge misogynistic norms that harm men, boys, women, girls and people across the gender spectrum. 

MenCare Changemakers will also visit some of Brazil’s leading, grassroots projects to gain real-world insight into how innovative policy and community initiatives are being implemented on the ground. The seven action tracks are:

  • Caring online spaces – in partnership with Safe Online
  • Caring manhood in cities and regions – in partnership with Van Leer Foundation
  • Democracy, violent extremism, and tech-enabled harms – in partnership with The Christchurch Call
  • Men’s health and health for all – in partnership with Global Action on Men’s Health
  • Caring manhood in workplaces- in partnership with Champions of Change Coalition
  • Men and care policies – in partnership with Alianza Global por los Cuidados (Global Alliance for Care)
  • Boys and education, in partnership with American Institute for Boys and Men

 

For media inquiries, please contact: press@equimundo.org

For general inquiries, please contact: contact@equimundo.org 

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