Every year 19th November is marked International Men’s Day to celebrate the life of men & boy around the world. 

Just like the world has Daughter’s Day, Women’s Day, Mother’s Day, there is a lesser-known day, dedicated towards the other significant half of the society. The Boys and Men. 

Why is it celebrated?

It was first inaugurated in 1992 on 7 February by Thomas Oaster, one year after the inception of the project of International Men’s Day on 8 February 1991. The project was re-instated by Jerome Teelucksingh in the year 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago. He chose 19th November to be celebrated as Men’s Day to honour his father’s birthday and 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. 

Since then, Teelucksingh has promoted the day as not just a gendered day but a day to address all issues affecting men and boys. 

Significance

International Men’s Day aims to spread awareness about the various issues that men have to face but they manage to hide it well. It aims to cherish the male models that inspire everyone with their contribution towards society. The agenda of celebrating men’s day is set out around the “The Six Pillars of International Men’s Day”. It includes focusing on men’s and boys’ health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, highlighting discrimination against men, and promoting male role models. Apart from this, the day is an occasion to celebrate boys and men’s achievements and contributions towards community, family, marriage, and childcare. 

The Men’s Problem

Men are more likely to fall victim to trauma as women. The studies suggest that the chances of a man committing suicide than that of a woman are 3 times higher. Also, suicide stays as one of the biggest reasons for the death of men. Apart from this, Men are two times more likely to suffer from heart disease or lung cancer than women and 1 out of 3 men fall victim to domestic violence. In the end, depression and mental illness are the factors which cannot be ignored. 

International Men’s day is considered as an opportunity to help the men to ease their suffering and to motivate them. On world Men’s Day, people should make efforts to heal the scared heart and troubled minds of men and let them know that you are being heard.

How is it celebrated?

More than 80 countries around the world involved in the celebration of IMD. The even receives massive global support including from international organisations like UNESCO. Also, the whole month of November is recognized as an occasion to celebrate International Men’s Month. The celebration can be felt more online than offline as people prefer social media platforms to convey their love and respect for the Men.

Organisations conduct fundraisers and charity programmes at different places and invite people to contribute towards the welfare of men who fell victim to unfortunate conditions, diseases or depression. Apart from this, many campaigns are organised to spread awareness about depression and mental illness and how to deal with it. In many countries, free health check-ups are organized to tackle serious diseases at the earliest.

Why Women is Important in Men’s Day Celebration?

There are men around the world, who have engulfed themselves in a pile of responsibilities to gratify their families with love, life and luxury. Many men suffer from mental distress or depression, either due to financial crisis, poor health, or job pressure or they are suffering from a disease which eats up their lives, but yet they choose to maintain a disciplined silence and continue to work hard, every day to keep everyone happy. Instead of becoming a rebel, and choosing to leave everything to become a hippie, every man has an inherent benchmark to fulfil, to become a Gentleman.

A woman is closer to a man than no one is. May it be his mother, sister, friend, wife or daughter. There is always a woman in every Man’s life that shares a bond. That one woman shall play the best role in bringing the man out of his shell, knowing his longings, sharing his problems and showing him a ray of hope in his life. A woman shall can not only help men fight his problems but can help him heal his wounds in the best possible manner. This is why it is very important for a woman to celebrate men’s day with their men, their brother, their son, their husband, their father, to let them know, that they are not alone.

International Men’s Day is not only about celebrating the contribution of men in society and life of others but is an opportunity to listen to the hidden problems that they choose to ignore and not share with anyone. It is a day to tell the Men in your life that yes, you are with them and that they are not alone in this fight called life. On International Men’s Day, become a Man of your dreams and face the odds like a hero, because a being does not only mean, being masculine, tough and responsible, but sometimes, it means to share your heart out, and live the life of your dreams. 

Happy International Men’s Day

Source: Wikipedia.org & Metro.co.uk