International Men's Day

International Men's Day (IMD) is an annual international event celebrated on 19 November. Inaugurated in 1992 on 7 February by Thomas Oaster, the project of International Men's Day was conceived one year earlier on 8 February 1991. The celebration was restarted in Trinidad and Tobago on November 19, 1999. The longest running celebration of International Men's Day is Malta, where events have occurred since 7 February 1994. In 2012 the United Nations designated November 19 as World Toilet Day.

Jerome Teelucksingh, who revived the event, chose 19 November to honour his father's birthday and also to celebrate how on that date in 1989 Trinidad and Tobago's football team had united the country with their endeavours to qualify for the World Cup. Teelucksingh has promoted International Men's Day as not just a gendered day but a day where all issues affecting men and boys can be addressed. He has said of IMD and its grass roots activists, "They are striving for gender equality and patiently attempt to remove the negative images and the stigma associated with men in our society"

The objectives of celebrating an International Men's Day, set out in "The Six Pillars of International Men's Day", include focusing on men's and boys' health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting male role models. It is an occasion to highlight discrimination against men and boys and to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular for their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care. The broader and ultimate aim of the event is to promote basic humanitarian values.

International Men's Day is celebrated in over 80 countries, on 19 November, and global support for the celebration is broad. International Men's Day is followed by Universal Children's Day on 20 November, forming a 48-hour celebration of men and children, respectively. Additionally, the month of November is also occasionally recognized as International Men's Month. International Men's Day is supported by a variety of organisations including UNESCO.

Countries

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Austria
• Australia
• Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Botswana
• Burundi
• Canada
• Cayman Islands
• China
• Colombia
• Cuba
• Denmark
• France
• Grenada
• India
• Ireland
• Isle of Man
• Italy
• Ghana
• Hungary
• Jamaica
• Malta
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Pakistan
• Romania
• Seychelles
• Singapore
• South Africa
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Lucia
• Tanzania
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Zimbabwe

History

Calls for an International Men's Day have been noted since at least the 1960s, when many men were reported to "have been agitating privately to make 23 February International Men's Day, the equivalent of 8 March, which is International Women's Day" The date was informally viewed a male counterpart of Women's Day (8 March) in some territories of the Union, however due to the day's limited focus to historical events some countries of the former union have moved to adopt the more 'male specific' 19 November as International Men's Day, including Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Russia and Georgia.

In 1968 the American journalist John P. Harris wrote an editorial in the Salina Journal highlighting a lack of balance in the Soviet system, which promoted an International Women's Day for the female workers without promoting a corresponding day for male workers. Harris stated that although he did not begrudge Soviet women their March day of glory, its resulting gender inequality clearly exhibited a serious flaw in the Communist system, which, "makes much of the equal rights it has given the sexes, but as it turns out, the women are much more equal than the men." Harris stated that while the men toiled along in their grooves doing what their government and womenfolk tell them to do, there was no day when males are recognised for their service, leading Harris to conclude that "This strikes me as unwarranted discrimination and rank injustice." Similar questions about the inequality of observing women's day without a corresponding men's day occurred in media publications from the 1960s through to the 1990s, at which time the first attempts at inaugurating international Men's Day are recorded.

In the early 1990s, organizations in the United States, Australia and Malta held small events in February at the invitation of Thomas Oaster who directed the Missouri Center for Men's Studies at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. Oaster successfully promoted the event in 1993 and 1994, but his following attempt in 1995 was poorly attended and he ceased plans to continue the event in subsequent years. Australians also ceased to observe the event (until they re-established it on 19 November 2003) whilst the Maltese Association for Men's Rights continued as the only country that continued to observe the event each year in February. Formerly being the only country still observing the original February date, the Maltese AMR Committee voted in 2009 to begin observing the day on 19 November in order to be synchronized with the rest of the world.

Although International Men's and Women's Day are considered to be 'gender focussed' events, they are not ideological mirror images because they highlight issues that are considered unique to men or to women. The history of IMD primarily concerns celebrating issues that are considered unique to the experiences of men and boys, along with an emphasis on positive role models, which is especially "deemed necessary in a social context which is often fascinated with images of males behaving badly... In highlighting positive male role models IMD attempts to show that males of all ages respond much more energetically to positive role models than they do to negative stereotyping."

Observances

According to its creators, International Men's Day is a time to promote positive aspects of male identity based on the premise that 'males of all ages respond more energetically to positive role models than they do to negative gender stereotyping'. During past years the method of commemorating International Men's Day included public seminars, classroom activities at schools, radio and television programs, peaceful displays and marches, debates, panel discussions, award ceremonies, and art displays. The manner of observing this annual day is optional, and any appropriate forums can be used. Early pioneers of IMD reminded that the day is not intended to compete against International Women's Day, but is for the purpose of highlighting men's experiences. In 2009 the following broad objectives were ratified as a basis for all International Men's Day observations, and are applied equally to men and boys irrespective of their age, ability, social background, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious belief and Intimate relationship|relationship status:

• To promote positive male role models; not just movie stars and sportsmen but everyday, working class men who are living decent, honest lives.
• To celebrate men's positive contributions to society, community, family, marriage, child care, and to the environment.
• To focus on men's health and wellbeing; social, emotional, physical and spiritual.
• To highlight discrimination against men; in areas of social services, social attitudes and expectations, and law.
• To improve gender relations and promote gender equality.
• To create a safer, better world; where people can live free from harm and grow to reach their full potential

According to Men's Activism News Network, International Men's Day also interfaces with "Movember" – a worldwide moustache growing charity event held during November each year that raises funds and awareness for men's health, one of the key themes promoted on IMD. It also interfaces with Universal Children's Day on 20 November and forms a 48-hour celebration firstly of men, then children respectively, with a recognition of the bonds between them.

Yearly theme

As well as the six Core Objectives, a secondary theme for IMD is usually suggested by world coordinators such as peace in 2002, men's health in 2003, healing and forgiveness in 2007, positive male role models in 2009 and 'our children's future' in 2010. It is not compulsory to adopt these secondary themes and participants are welcome to establish individual themes to suit local needs and concerns.

2011 "Giving Boys The Best Possible Start In Life"

In 2011 the theme for international Men's Day is 'boys' with the title, "Giving Boys The Best Possible Start In Life". This theme asks people around the world to focus on five key challenges that boys all over the world experience in areas of health, education, family life, violence and life choices and to consider local solutions to the global problems that boys face.

2012 "Helping Men and Boys Live longer, Happier and Healthier Lives"

The theme for 2012 is 'health' with the title "Helping Men and Boys Live longer, Happier and Healthier Lives". The target areas nominated by IMD Founder Jerome Teelucksingh are; 1. Improving male life expectancy; 2. Helping men get help; 3. Improving boys' education; 4. Tackling tolerance of violence against men and boys; and 5. Promoting fathers and positive male role models. The 2012 theme highlights World Health Organization figures showing that every year over half a million people die from violence and 83% of them are men and boys, and that a similar proportion of the global burden of disease (ill-health, disability or early death) from violence is borne by boys and men.

2013 "Keeping Men and Boys safe"

The theme for 2013 as nominated by the IMD Coordination Committee is, "Keeping Men and Boys safe". The nominated target areas are, 1.Keeping men and boys Safe by tackling male suicide; 2. Keeping boys safe so they can become tomorrow's role models; 3. Tackling our tolerance of violence against men and boys; 4. Boosting men's life expectancy by keeping men and boys safe from avoidable illness and death; 5. and Keeping men and boys safe by promoting fathers and male role models. The 2013 Press Release asks, "People all over the world are used to relating to men as protectors and providers, but how often do we consider the actions we can all take to protect Men and Boys from harm and provide them with a safe world where they can thrive and prosper?"

2014 "Working Together For Men and Boys"

2014 International Men's Day theme was "Working Together For Men and Boys" and was designed to encourage greater cooperation in addressing a range of issues that affect Men and Boys such as men's shorter life expectancy, the high male suicide rate, our collective tolerance of violence against men, and the struggles that boys can face in getting an education and the unique challenges of father-child relationships.

2015 "Working To Expand Reproductive Options for Men"

The International Men's Day theme for 2015 — "Working To Expand Reproductive Options for Men" — is designed to encourage cooperation in addressing reproductive issues that affect men and boys around the world, such as family planning, men's limited reproductive choices, sexual health, and safe sexual practices. The question is asked of how we might improve men's freedom to choose parenthood through cultural, legal, technological and educational avenues.

2016 "Stop Male Suicide"

2016's theme for International Men's Day was "Stop Male Suicide". In every country except China, the rate of suicide in men is higher than that of women, in some cases as high as six men for every one woman, and life expectancy is routinely less for men than women in all countries. To this end, "Global Action on Men’s Health (GAMH) wants the World Health Organization and other international public health bodies, as well as individual governments, to acknowledge the scale of the problems facing men and boys and to take sustained action to tackle them. This work should sit alongside continuing action to improve the health of women and girls." Glen Poole, an IMD coordinator wrote a book entitled "How You Can Stop Male Suicide in 7 Simple Steps," summarized with the motto "Learn, love, listen."

2017 "Celebrating Men And Boys In All Their Diversity"

In March 2017 the theme of "Celebrating Men And Boys In All Their Diversity" was announced by the Global and Regional Coordinators. The emphasis on "..A Call To Action" for individuals, institutions, and organizations to innovate the manner in which they design and deliver resources and support services which speak to the unique needs and issues of men and boys."

2018 "Positive Male Role Models"

The theme of 2018's International Men's Day was "Positive Male Role Models," and focused on giving men and boys good positive role models to look up to.

See Also

• International Boy's Day

External links

• International Men's Day Global Website
• International Men's Day – Holidays Portal
• Founders Statement