International Men’s Day

Men are often told to ‘man up’ if they ever feel depressed or are upset about an issue. They’re left unattended because they’re expected to be strong and portray the stereotypes of masculinity. Whereas when it comes to women, we’ve seen them being comforted by both the sexes.
A man could be a soft and emotional person as well considered as to his female counterparts. They need support and understanding too.
Focusing on the commercial aspect of this day, Women’s day is seen to be celebrated with all the pomp with special discount sales to lure the ladies. But today, unfortunately, half of the population has forgotten or are ignorant that International Men’s Day does even exist! It’s not just about women and the appreciation of their hardships but also about the pressures of being a man.
The male community is always expected to be the breadwinners, masculine, emotionally strong, sexually exploitative/overpowering. They’re the forgotten offsprings of Adam who have to abide by the patriarchal stereotypes.
With the prevalence and practise of feminism, it is mandatory to understand men as well. They’re not solely made for the shielding of women from predator’s eyes. The whole fraternity of men is also sometimes the poor victims of brutal sexual assaults like rape. They tend to be left neglected when they report their abuse or are mocked by the society if they ever have been groped by the clutches of sexual culprits. They also need a concrete group of supportive friends/family to be part of their sorrow and contribute to legal actions.
As per a leading charity organisation, male suicide continues to be the biggest killer of men under the age of 45.
Men are as much fragile, anxious, distressed, sad or depressed like women. They should be respected if they show signs of any form of discomfort because it’s time to recognise and honour their contributions for family and society.
Every year, 19th November commemorates the importance of International Men’s Day globally. The day marks the significance of raising awareness about men’s mental health and to address male suicides.
The day was first conceived and curated in 1999 by a doctor from Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh to honour his father’s birthday. He aims to promote men’s movement by creating an ideology of mental peace by encouraging them to be more open about mental health issues. Adding to that, the day spreads awareness about toxic masculinity and the prevalence of male suicides. It is an occasion for highlighting discrimination against men and boys and to celebrate their achievements and contributions to community, family, marriage and child care. It constitutes the ultimate goal of promoting basic humanitarian values.
IMD also explores issues like poverty, hunger, homelessness, fatherlessness, mass incarceration, parental alienation and religious and ethnic intolerance suffered by young boys and men and to help with live healthier, purpose-driven and longer lives.
Putting a limelight on the several recorded cases of trans and queer men who have not been accepted in the category of ‘men’. Studies show that almost half of trans young people have attempted suicide, and the tragedy in that statistic is that it isn’t surprising, given the stigma attached to being a trans man or woman.
It’s absolutely mandatory for others to respect their sexuality irrespective of their gender.
India is one such nation where the community of men including transmen suffer from societal norms and negligence.
The inaugural celebration in India was first organised by an Indian men’s organisation called Save Indian Family on 19 November 2007.
The theme for this year’s IMD is ‘Positive Male Role Models’. It aims to put the spotlight on positive role models to raise awareness of men’s health and wellbeing.