Is International Men's Day necessary?
- Lily Coleman
- Nov 19, 2017
- 2 min read
Sunday 19th November is officially International Men’s Day in the UK. It sets to mark the struggles men face across the globe and celebrate their achievements. In particular, the day focuses on mental health with hopes to tackle the alarming suicide rates in men. According to the Samaritans, men accounted for nearly 75% of all suicides across the UK in 2015 alone. By raising awareness to issues like this, those organising International Men’s Day hope to better the life of men and help to prevent further incidences of male suicide. There is also an increasing focus on the lives of LGBT+ men in 2017s events.
However, the day is also known to be surrounded by much debate. Some believe that because men have never been victims of systematic oppression, they may not be as worthy of a day that celebrates their struggles unlike minority groups. However, others feel that it is just as important to celebrate and campaign about issues that affect men as well as those that affect women.
In my own survey, I asked whether international men's day should exist, and these are the responses:
One of the campaigns at the forefront of the pro argument is CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) who have launched the #ChangeThePicture campaign today. It centres around tackling stereotypes about men on social media and how they should not be afraid to show their feelings. And they are not alone – many other charities and campaigns have joined their side today to help raise awareness for mental health issues, and the House of Commons has also engaged in a debate this week about International Men's Day.
However, some argue that this day is a step too far.
Whilst they do address the fact that men do suffer at the hands of “our patriarchal society” (one where men hold all/most of the societal power), they also suggest men are in a position that is better off then women, people of colour, and the LGBT+ community – these groups are more likely to feel largely excluded from society and suffer ongoing oppression day to day.
For example, they believe that International Women’s Day is a day that celebrates the achievements of women who have overcame suppression – from the Suffragettes to Malala Yousafzai – as well as shed light on the gender pay gap, sexual harassment, and other important women’s issues. Men have never suffered to this extent, therefore they feel a male alternative day is unjustified. Because men have never had to overcome the same ordeals and struggles that women have, they believe that perhaps they are not as deserving of their own day of celebration and reflection. In some extreme cases, they believe “every day is a day for men to celebrate being in power.”
It is not necessarily an easy question to answer, but one thing is clear, the popularity of International Men's has boosted since 2010 when the UK first began its celebrations, and now over 60 nations have joined in too. And if we are still living in a patriarchy, then this system must fail men too.
Need someone to talk to?
If you are a feeling suicidal, there is help out there. Call the Samaritans on 116 123 (UK).
Yorumlar