Nigel Barker, the internationally renowned fashion photographer, best known for his role as a judge on the show, America’s Next Top Model, is also a passionate feminist. While Barker says he has always been a gender equality advocate, it was when he became a father to his son and daughter that he decided to take action. “With my young daughter growing up in this world I want her to be as empowered, confident and educated as she can possibly be. Certainly, as an equal to my son. I want her to have every opportunity I can possibly give her,” says Barker.
But it is not just fathers, Barker says that given that most young women have a male figure in their lives, all men need to understand gender inequality and become advocates for change.
"The concept that some men think they are more deserving than women, that they should be the decision makers, that they have a divine right to lead and rule is absurd and basically bullying that has become ingrained in most cultures. Girls and women are actively being held back, minimized and even demonized for their actions simply because of their sex. And that is intolerable.”
That is why Barker decided to become a Champion for Girl Up, the United Nation Foundation’s campaign that raises funds and advocates for adolescent girls in the developing world.
“When I reached out to Girl Up, I remember asking them what I could do. They said, ‘Well we are really an organization that is about inspiring girls for girls. Not really men for girls (laughs).’ I told them that I understood but I had a daughter and I wanted to help. I needed to help,” he says.
I recently sat down with Barker, to discuss the lessons he has learnt supporting the gender equality movement. Here he shares specific actions that all men can take to support the women and girls in their lives.
1. Work with what you have. Although Barker is a strong female advocate, he acknowledges that the fashion world is often criticized for ‘taking advantage of women’ and he admits that it is ‘guilty of many things.’ Barker also points out that this is a multi-billion dollar creative industry, which is not going anywhere anytime soon. It is for this reason that Barker believes men can advance gender equality, regardless of where they work. “This is about working within the industry to help change people’s perspectives. I have done all kinds of campaigns, around anti-fur or breast cancer. So, it is really using fashion to grab people’s attention. The most important model is a role model and anyone can become that,” says Barker.
2. Look at the world through her eyes. Barker is no stranger to powerful women, working for the likes of Tyra Banks, the executive producer of the show America’s Next Top Model and Naomi Campbell, the executive producer of the show The Face. It was only when Barker stepped out of the fashion world that he became aware of the lack of women in other industries. “I have friends who work in regular jobs, like finance and it is a very different landscape, there are business meetings where it is all men. I would always question why this was so different,” he says. When Barker had his daughter, Jasmine, he began to understand that the inequality he saw would soon become her experience. By seeing the world through her eyes, he understood the need to change it. “I want her to grow up and be able to do whatever it is she wants to do. What happens if she wants to go into finance? Why shouldn’t she have equal opportunity to do those jobs and to rise within them because of her talent and ability?”
3. Accept that this is not about you. Barker believes that advancements in gender equality can make some men feel vulnerable. “You look at men sometimes and it looks like they feel that they are being challenged unfairly. Of course, they are not. It is the other way around, women experience this,” he says. Barker thinks a lot of men are ill-equipped to deal with the equality advancements that are taking place. To tackle this issue, men need to accept that this is not about them or women taking anything away from them. Rather, Barker says it is about creating equal opportunities for women, who have been treated unfairly for so long.
4. Ditch your assumptions. Watching his daughter grow up Barker quickly became aware of the assumptions people make about young women. “People think that she is a girl so she should like rainbows, unicorns and pink. There are all these stereotypes. I want to shatter those. I want my daughter to do whatever she wants,” he says. Barker says this also extends to boys. As a child Barker played with dolls because he enjoyed it and he wants his son to have the same freedom. “This is about loving children for who they are and not who you want them to be,” he says.
5. Encourage all men to take action. Barker believes there is a disconnect between how we raise daughters and treat women. “We grow up loving our daughters and having them feel equal in the family but as soon as girls grow up all bets are off. Suddenly, we treat them like a second-class citizen,” he says. It is because of this that Barker wants to encourage all men to be ‘a part of the equation and the solution.’ He says men can start to do this by using the hashtag #dadsquad and sharing how they are taking action to support women and girls.
