Feminism is having a resurgence. After Beyonce announced last year she was a feminist, in typically understated style – performing at the VMA awards before a blazing metres-high, capital-letters FEMINIST – s But what of the men wanting to join in? Can men be feminists too? Actress Emma Watson certainly thinks so. Watson made worldwide headlines in September with a speech to the United Nations, when she launched the #HeForShe campaign that called on men to get on board the equality train. The campaign asks people to pledge that: "gender equality is not only a women's issue, it is a human rights issue that requires my participation. I commit to take action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls." According to #HeFor#She, feminism was "originally conceived as a struggle led only by women for women". It calls on men to committing to "taking action against gender discrimination and violence in order to build a more just and equal world".

Since then, more and more men have been describing themselves as feminists. But this has not been without its problems. Well-known Australian feminist (and Fairfax columnist) Clementine Ford set the cat among the pigeons recently, by linking to an opinion piece by Sydney writer Kate Iselin, and suggesting that male feminists "need to shut up and listen". Within minutes, she had sparked a public social media brawl between feminists and a young man called Adam Carson, who describes himself on his Twitter bio as an "atheist, a skeptic, a humanist, a liberal, [and] a feminist" (among others). Carson took exception to Ford saying men should "shut up" about feminism, and quickly hit back, describing the argument and its proponents as being "misandrist", or man-hating. Things quickly descended. As he protested being told to be quiet, and to listen, Carson insisted that women "needed" men's support for feminism.

"I just don't appreciate being told that my voice has less value," he insisted. "Equality goes both ways." So, does it? Are men's voices as equally important to women's in feminism? And can men even be feminists? No, says newly retired gender politics academic Sheila Jeffreys, a leading figure of 1970s-style radical feminism. She says men can be "pro-feminist but not feminists". "Men do not like to be left out and many think they know better than women even about distinctively women's issues," she says. "Women daring to organise around their issues without men does actually threaten the power relations of male dominance, and this is why it is crucially important."

Professor Jeffreys likens this to trade unionism, saying members of "oppressed" groups must be able to meet and articulate their concerns without fear of being surveilled or interrupted. "Bosses are not saying they know better than and can help create and articulate theory around labour exploitation." She has a suggestion for men who would be feminists: they should form groups of their own. Unlike Doug's feminism club, however, Professor Jeffreys suggests they should "discuss and problematize their own experience". This, she says, could include "why, for instance, do some men find it hard even to imagine being attracted to women who do not depilate". "This is an excellent question and men need to talk through this on their own. Women should not have to listen to it."

Quite. Iselin's article, which sparked such debate, was cheekily titled "No Country for Male Feminists". She argues that the "feminism practised by men is often common decency followed by a request for applause". "When you say that women shouldn't be beaten by their partners, or when you actively ask a woman's consent before a man puts their penis inside her, you are not practising feminism – you are performing the most basic, bare-minimum actions required to participate in society without being a criminal." Carson and other male feminists argue that both sexes are needed in the fight for equality. But if you accept that men and women have different power in society, is it realistic to expect men should have an equal say in feminism? Or would men just talk more loudly and drown women out? Iselin believes that feminism is something best understood by "people who aren't straight, generally white, men", or who are "outside the patriarchy", saying feminism is essentially about power.

She sympathises with Carson and other men who are frustrated at not being welcomed into feminism's inner sanctum. "But, you know, I wonder how far someone can go in their readings of feminism without realising that as a man, it's not really about you." By that token, then, should straight people butt out of discussion about same-sex marriage? What about white people and racism? Iselin acknowledges this is a fraught space. After all, the majority of politicians are straight, so for legislative change to occur, they must weigh in to debates about same-sex marriage. "It's that old thing of, nothing about us, without us."