ABSTRACT
Feminist social work seeks to change some forms of men’s gendered behaviour, as well as confront Patriarchy, and this project involves working with profeminist men in the profession. However, in engaging men in feminism, there has been a concern about whether men can be trusted to do this work effectively and how and to whom they should be accountable. While men are encouraged to become profeminist, there is no assurance that this will necessarily benefit women. Much of the work on engaging men in social work is not informed by feminism and much of that is drawn upon feminists who are perceived as being sympathetic to men’s issues. This limited engagement with feminisms raises questions about the politics of men’s professed feminist allyship. This chapter aims to trouble or disturb men’s espoused profeminism and allyship and explores strategies for avoiding the traps and addressing the dilemmas in profeminist men’s practice.
