We dont normally post in topics of this kind. Yet this is one of the most interesting and different takes on female and male leadership we have seen in a long time. Sharing this to perhaps initiate a discussion or sharing of thoughts? Thanks Johan.
Founder @ Kahoot! & We Are Human | Captain @EntrepreneurShipOne | Fellow at The RSA | Explorers Club
95% of prison inmates are men. Are we okay with that? When women are underrepresented, we talk about systemic barriers. When men are overrepresented, we talk about personal choices. More than 95% of prison inmates in Norway are men. This isn’t a minor anomaly—it’s one of society’s starkest gender disparities. Yet it’s rarely discussed as a gender equality issue. Why? No, this isn’t about men being discriminated against in the justice system. It’s about asking why so many men end up there in the first place. Crime doesn’t happen in a vacuum—it’s linked to school dropout rates, social exclusion, substance abuse, and mental health struggles. And on every single one of these metrics, men are disproportionately represented. Yes, men commit more violent crimes. But if we care about why that is, we need deeper questions. Why do we invest so much energy into helping women break glass ceilings—but so little into stopping men from hitting rock bottom? Why don’t we see the same urgency to keep men out of crisis as we do to get women into leadership? Maybe part of the reason is that we don’t see prison as a position in society in the same way we see a CEO role—one is about exclusion, the other about inclusion. But if we truly care about gender disparities, we must ask: Why are men so overrepresented not just in power, but also in crisis? Some argue more women in leadership could actually help solve this; because women might be more likely to push for policies addressing the systemic factors driving men into crisis. Ironically, despite men historically dominating leadership, the struggles of men at society’s margins remain largely unaddressed. Could shifting leadership structures be part of the solution? This isn’t about shifting focus away from women’s struggles. It’s about making sure we don’t ignore gender disparities just because they don’t fit the expected narrative. Maybe this is a SHE Community topic? In my mind, it’s a perfect double-edged issue—one impacting both men and women, just in different ways. If gender equality means real systemic change, shouldn’t we talk about all of it? The real question isn’t just “why are so many men in prison?” ??it’s “why are so many men struggling?” And what, if anything, are we doing about it?