Devil’s Advocate: Serving you a cocktail of wit, humour and sarcasm
International Men’s Day! (IMD). Is this some kind of April Fool’s Day joke?. A day reserved for men, who belong to the privileged class?
IMD is celebrated on 19th November every year in over 80 countries. IMD started in Trinidad and Tobago in 1999. It was created by Dr Jerome Tuluck Singh to commemorate his father’s birthday with the aim of highlighting the social issues faced by men, both mental and physical.
Hardcore feminists will dismiss IMD as a day for celebrating patriarchy, misogyny and toxic masculinity. Most men are unaware of IMD or too embarrassed by it. What? A day for a “strong bloke” like me? You must be kidding!
Men have been conditioned, over the centuries, to believe that they are indestructible, bullet proof and that they can overcome any difficulty with ease, without any external support. This myth, perpetuated by men themselves, is driving them to their early graves
Internationalmensday.com says “IMD celebrates the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities. We highlight positive role models and raise awareness of men’s well-being. Our theme for 2022 is “Helping Men and Boys”.
The 6 objectives of IMD are:
- To promote positive male role models;
- To celebrate men’s positive contributions to society, community, family, marriage, childcare, 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 be safe and grow to reach their full potential
Men face a series of challenges/issues which need to be addressed seriously in order to have our communities function to their fullest potential and to value men who have contributed greatly to the development of the world we live in.
Some of the “men issues” are:
Men have a suicide rate 3 times higher than women: As per ABS data, 75% of those who take their own life are male. In 2019 men accounted for 2,502 out of a total 3,318 registered suicide deaths in Australia. Beyond the tragic loss of the person, the impact of suicide deaths are felt by up to 135 people, including family members, work colleagues, friends etc
The recent suicide of NRL coach Paul Green is a case in point.
Men are victims of domestic violence too: Domestic violence is not limited to just women. Men are also subject to domestic violence and death, as a result. The Australian Bureau of Statistics Recorded Crime – Victims, Australia, found that in 2021, males comprised just under half (42% – 44 victims) of all victims of Family and Domestic Violence-related homicides. Men are typically ashamed or embarrassed to report instances of domestic violence against them and prefer to suffer in silence.
In Sep 2020, a woman in Western Sydney pleaded guilty to murdering her male partner by striking him with the axe to the head. A woman, Numa Gupta, in Western Sydney, has been charged with murder after she fatally stabbed her husband, Santosh Gautam. Such tragic news hardly gets reported widely in the media.
Men on average die 4-5 years before women: Besides genetics, there are various reasons why the man’s life span is shorter. Most of the hard, risky, dangerous & difficult physical activities are done by men; from digging in deep mines to dying in wars and conflicts. Men contract diseases working in unhealthy occupations. Homicides, workplace and road accidents largely involve men. Homeless and incarcerated people are mainly men. Men are more likely to drink alcohol in excess, smoke more, and eat more indulgently than women. These habits may lead to diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, and other contributors to shortening a lifespan.
Men are less likely than women to attend preventive medical visits and on average men are 80% less likely than women to use a regular source of health care. According to Katherine Krefft, PhD, “Men give lots of reasons why they avoid doctors, but some of the reasons they don’t give are deeply embedded socially and culturally.” This needs to change
Coronary disease impacts more men than women and it is three times higher among men who are clinically depressed. Men are nearly twice as likely to suffer from lung & skin cancer than women. Men are nearly twice as likely to suffer from heart disease than women
Boys are falling far behind girls in schools & universities: University Admissions Centre (UAC) analysis of results found that being male was “greater than any of the other recognised disadvantages we looked at”. The centre looked at Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and first-year university grade point average data and found the gender education gap persisted across socio-economic quartiles at both senior school and university levels.
Prostate cancer diagnosis has overtaken breast cancer: Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia reports that prostate cancer is now the most common cancer diagnosed in Australia, overtaking breast cancer as the country’s leading cause of cancer. Data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates 24,217 Australian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, compared to 20,640 women diagnosed with breast cancer.
Yet, there is no widespread public awareness about it as compared with the very popular McGrath’s Foundation (started by a man), which works towards raising funds for women’s breast cancer support. On 13th Nov, another man, Prabodh Malhotra, an Australian-Indian will walk from Melbourne Cricket Ground to Sydney Cricket Ground, a distance of 1,000 km, to raise money for McGrath Foundation. Hoping men will initiate such campaigns for the benefit of their own ilk.
Every person has a man in his or her life whom they love – father, husband, son, brother, boyfriend, nephew, grandfather, uncle, neighbour etc. IMD would be a fantastic opportunity to engage with them to discuss their physical & mental well-being, without harbouring any male bias and prejudices.
Men! This IMD, the least you can do is to discard your “tough guy” avatar by not ignoring your own welfare, go get your annual health check-up or screening done, which you have been putting off for the last 20 years or join men support groups for camaraderie and for the sake of your mental well-being. For details visit www.internationalmensday.com.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
Support independent community journalism. Support The Indian Sun.
Follow The Indian Sun on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
International Men’s Day! (IMD). Is this some kind of April Fool’s Day joke?. A day reserved for men, who belong to the privileged class? #DevilsAdvocate #TheIndianSun @BhushanSalunke1 https://t.co/WcY0pHxwDe
— The Indian Sun (@The_Indian_Sun) November 14, 2022
Donate To The Indian Sun
Dear Reader,The Indian Sun is an independent organisation committed to community journalism. We have, through the years, been able to reach a wide audience especially with the growth of social media, where we also have a strong presence. With platforms such as YouTube videos, we have been able to engage in different forms of storytelling. However, the past few years, like many media organisations around the world, it has not been an easy path. We have a greater challenge. We believe community journalism is very important for a multicultural country like Australia. We’re not able to do everything, but we aim for some of the most interesting stories and journalism of quality. We call upon readers like you to support us and make any contribution. Do make a DONATION NOW so we can continue with the volume and quality journalism that we are able to practice.
Thank you for your support.
Best wishes,
Team The Indian Sun
