Episode 14

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Published on:

28th Apr 2022

Luis Lineo - Masculinity, the War in Ukraine, and Refugees: Swedish Responses

Luis Lineo was born in Ukraine to Chilean parents, and was raised there by a single mother. He moved to Sweden at the age of 12 as a refugee. As an adult, he became involved in work on masculinity, violence, and gender equality. We speak to him about the impact of watching on as his country of birth is invaded, and why masculinity and gender matter in the horrifying war on Ukraine. We also explore issues of inequality, integration, and violence in contemporary Sweden, and why Swedish society is more complicated than the beacon of gender equality it is often perceived to be.

Luis is actively involved in Sweden’s Feminist Initiative Party and works at the secretariat for MenEngage Europe (MenEngage is a global network of civil society organisations working with men and boys for gender equality). For over 15 years he has been a journalist and sexuality educator, and helps to run a media house called Fanzingo for young people in a low-income area south of Stockholm. He is an active member of MÄN, a leading organisation in Sweden and Europe working on preventing men’s violence against women and a range of other masculinity issues. He is also a fan of rugby, and used to play for the Swedish national men’s rugby team!

We cover the following topics in the episode:

  • The impact of the war on Luis and his friends and family
  • Luis’s life growing up in Ukraine – and what led him to move to Sweden
  • Luis’s experience of hosting a Ukrainian refugee family since the war began
  • Why a masculinities perspective is so relevant to the war in Ukraine
  • Rapid changes in Swedish foreign policy – including potentially joining Nato
  • Luis’s experience of being involved in the Feminist Initiative Party
  • Gender equality, gender norms and backlash in Sweden, e.g. around parental leave
  • Riots against the burning of the Quran in Sweden – and the influence of xenophobia and the far-right
  • How Luis first got involved in gender equality work
  • Being a rugby player, and masculine cultures in rugby

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About the Podcast

Now and Men
Changing Masculinities, Challenging Norms
What role can men play in achieving gender equality?
Why is feminism good for men?
How are rigid ideas about masculinity holding back our lives—and how are people around the world challenging them?

These are the questions at the heart of Now and Men, a podcast hosted by social researchers Dr Stephen Burrell (Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Australia) and Sandy Ruxton (Independent Researcher and Honorary Fellow at Durham University, UK).

We explore masculinity and change in the lives of men and boys today, diving into issues such as gender-based violence, fatherhood, men’s health, politics and the environment. Grounded in feminist thinking, our conversations connect big ideas to everyday experiences—showing how gender shapes all of us, and how men can be part of building a more equal world.

At a time when regressive versions of masculinity are resurging—amplified by political leaders, online influencers, even podcasters—we spotlight the people pushing back. Each episode features inspiring voices working to engage men and boys in positive, transformative ways and imagining feminist futures.

New episodes drop every month. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts, and join us in exploring what healthy, caring, equitable paths forward can look like for men. Questions or comments? We’d love to hear from you at nowandmen@gmail.com.

About your hosts

Stephen Burrell

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I am a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Melbourne. I'm originally from the UK, and moved to Australia at the beginning of 2024. My research is about men, masculinities, and violence. I am particularly interested in the prevention of men's violence - especially violence against women, and violence against the environment - and promoting care as an alternative. I'm a big fan of feminism, drinking tea, connecting with nature, eating vegan snacks, and listening to heavy metal.

Sandy Ruxton

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Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Sociology at Durham University (UK). Independent researcher, expert on men and masculinities. Previous policy work on human rights, children and families, poverty and social exclusion, and asylum and migration. Programme experience with boys and young men in schools, community, and prisons. Steering Committee member, MenEngage Europe. Volunteer for OX4 Food Crew. Chess-player, bike-rider, tree-hugger. Great grandfather edited Boy's Own Paper, but was sacked.