Men from the Ames community and Iowa State said Tuesday afternoon at a panel discussion that they believe all men should take a role in furthering the women’s movement.

Adin Mann, advisor for MARS (Men Against Rape and Sexism) and panel leader for the “feMENists — Men’s Roles in the Women’s Movement” program at the Sloss House, said, “It is hard for most white men to realize that they have an advantage in this society. Many men don’t want to deal with women and minorities. They need to use their advantages and influence to make decisions that will benefit the rest of society.”

Steve Sapp, an associate professor of sociology, and other panel members agreed that the movement should be called a humanitarian movement rather than a women’s movement.

“Calling it the women’s movement is too narrow. We need to think of it as an anti-era movement. Everyone’s a person,” he said. “There are many situations where one person exerts power over another individual because that person has more resources, such as strength and violence. It comes back to everyone.”

Ramona Bates, a senior in education, also believes most women’s issues don’t involve just women.

“I just can’t call it a women’s movement,” she said. “Because I am a black person, I have another obstacle to pass first before I think about crossing the obstacle that I am a woman.”

“We need to accept responsibility for the society we have created,” Sapp added. “We need to advocate for change and support the women who advocate for change.”

Wole Ojurongbe, a graduate student in business, said it has been a man’s world to date.

“It hasn’t worked as a man’s world, let’s face it. We need to change this patriarchal society to a matriarchal society,” Ojurongbe said.