In the group's first report, New Hampshire's Commission on the Status of Men recommends that the state devote more resources to correcting the gender biases men face in divorce and domestic violence cases, as well as promoting the role of fathers in families.

The commission also wants the state to fund men and women's health programs equally, look at ways to close the gap between boys and girls in reading and writing skills and develop programs to improve boys' self-esteem. In addition, the commission is asking for state funding.

The commission, the first of its kind in the country, was established in 2002 as a counterpart to the state-funded women's commission. Most of its seven members have some background in social welfare, mental health or family law.

The commission set out to examine social problems unique to men, as well as cultural stereotypes that may exist in courtrooms, classrooms or other arenas. Commission members worked with representatives from state agencies and other groups to compile the 44-page report.

Much of the report is concerned with what commission members describe as the biases leveled against men in divorces, child support arrangements and custody disputes. In research and in meetings held over the last year, the commission found that many fathers feel they are treated unfairly in family court disputes. Many complained of judges who automatically side with mothers, child support guidelines that leave the father with little income, and a general lack of understanding of the benefits of a father-child relationship.

"As women have had difficulty establishing their role as important contributors to the workplace, men have had difficulty establishing themselves as important nurturers for their families and children," the report states.

Citing numerous studies that show children who spend time with their fathers are better-adjusted, the report recommends that the state provide funding to the men's commission so it can launch a public awareness campaign to support bringing fathers and children together. The commission does not receive any public money.

The report also discusses domestic violence. Men told the commission that some women accuse men of assault so that the judge will award the woman custody of the couple's children. Judges tend to take the woman's side, the report states, which can make it difficult for the man to dispute the charges later.

The commission also studied the traditional assumption that all domestic violence is caused by men, and it found studies suggesting that women assault men just as often. Domestic violence education and advocate training programs tend to compound the bias by referring to perpetrators of violence in male terms.

"Efforts to get relief from the domestic violence problem have been unduly influenced by special interests who have successfully sold the problem as solely a responsibility of males over the years," the report states. "The whole truth on this emotionally charged dichotomy isn't being fully revealed."

As a first step, the commission wants the state legislature to renew the Violence Against Women Act - but only if the language in the law is made gender-neutral. That law provides medical care, shelter and legal services to women and children who have experienced domestic violence.

The report also recommends that the state invest the same amount of money in men's health issues - prostate cancer, for example - as it does in women's diseases such as breast cancer. Citing statistics that show some men are more likely to kill themselves than women, it also suggests that the state start developing intervention plans and other educational programs for at-risk boys.

The report also examines the disparity between boys and girls in reading comprehension.

Boys score lower than girls on standardized reading tests, and that gap widens as the students get older. Though girls score lower than boys on standardized math tests, the difference is much smaller than the gap in the reading scores, according to state figures.

As students get older, girls in New Hampshire are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college (nationally, more women attend college as well).

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