A quick look around the social space today will put things in perspective for you, International Men’s Day doesn’t hold much value, as opposed to it’s more recognized contemporary, International Women’s day.
Women we need to talk.
Don’t the men deserve at least a small mention on our social timelines on the one day that they should be internationally recognized?
We had a few famous handles in Nigeria ( a really small number) tweet the required hashtag but that is as far as it went. It would have been a heartbreaking episode but men are taught from a young age to take everything in stride and ‘man up’; a condition which could be closely connected to the high suicide rate in men between the ages of 18-50.
So before the day comes to an unceremonious end, here’s some proper information on what the day is really about, to help the small minority who might not be celebrating men because they have no idea what the day is about.
International Men’s Day (IMD) is an annual international event celebrated on 19 November. The objectives of celebrating an International Men’s Day are set out in “The Six Pillars of International Men’s Day”and include
- Focusing on men’s health.
- Focusing on boy’s health.
- Improving gender relations.
- Promoting gender equality.
- Highlighting discrimination against men.
- Promoting male role models.
It is an occasion to celebrate boys and men’s 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.
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 project was re-initialised in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago.The longest running celebration of International Men’s Day is Malta, where events have occurred since 7 February 1994.
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”
Source: Wikipedia
