International Men’s Day: Why it is on November 19, Indian woman’s role behind it

What is International Men’s Day?

According to the authoritative IMD website, “On November 19, International Men’s Day celebrates worldwide the affirmative worth men bring to the world, their families and communities. We item affirmative relation models and rise consciousness of men’s well-being.”

“International Men’s Day encourages men to thatch the boys successful their lives the values, quality and responsibilities of being a man. Mahatma Gandhi said, “We indispensable go the alteration we seek.” It is lone erstwhile we all, some men and women, pb by illustration that we volition make a just and harmless nine that allows everyone the accidental to prosper,” the website adds.

Every year, a taxable is chosen for IMD events. This year, it is ‘Positive Male Role Models’. Last year, the taxable was ‘Zero Male Suicide’, portion successful 2022, it was ‘Helping Men and Boys’.

How was International Men’s Day established?

Calls for a time dedicated to celebrating men were being made since the precocious 1960s successful the West, erstwhile Second Wave feminism had thrown questions astir sex equality and women’s rights into the mainstream. That time, February 23 had been 1 of the dates floated for the Day. Over the years, isolated efforts were made successful antithetic countries to observe IMD, but the run did not stitchery momentum.

As the IMD website points out, successful the aboriginal 1990s, organisations successful the United States, Europe, and Australia “held tiny events successful February astatine the invitation of Professor Thomas Oaster, who directed the Missouri Center for Men’s Studies astatine the University of Missouri, Kansas City.” However, aft 1994, this lawsuit petered out, with lone Malta continuing to observe the Day.

The existent mentation of the lawsuit was founded by Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, a past lecturer astatine University of the West Indies successful Trinidad and Tabago, connected November 19, 1999. Australian organisations moving for men’s rights were portion of this event, and they worked to impact different countries successful the celebrations.

Why is International Men’s Day celebrated connected November 19?

In a 2008 interview, Teelucksingh had said, “I chose that time for a fewer reasons- it is my dad’s birthday…. I hoped that different dads would spot him arsenic a relation exemplary for fatherhood and parenthood. Secondly, it was the time successful which the shot squad successful my state [ Trinidad and Tabago] created a level of unity which crossed gender, spiritual and taste divisions [in 1989].”

Who is the Indian pistillate who helped popularise IMD?

The IMD website acknowledges the contributions of Uma Challa, an Indian men’s rights activist.

“It should beryllium noted that International Men’s Day arsenic a planetary solemnisation owes a immense indebtedness to Indian Men’s Advocate and parent of 2 Uma Challa. Almost single-handedly, Uma Challa pioneered the solemnisation of International Men’s Day successful India successful 2007…”

Uma Challa is the laminitis of Save the Indian Family Foundation, non-profit based successful Bengaluru. Challa had worked for men’s rights successful the US too. In India, she started campaigning against laws she believed were biased against men. According to a 2016 nonfiction successful VICE, Challa is an “American-educated biologist” who joined men’s rights activism astir 2005 “after she was implicated successful a dowry-harassment lawsuit with her brother.”

Do we truly request an International Men’s Day?

There are galore reasons Men’ Day is not observed connected the aforesaid standard arsenic Women’s Day. Some accidental that circumstantial days are designated to item the struggles of a marginalised group, and successful a patriarchal society, “everyday is men’s day”.

Others person argued that a speech astir men’s rights often turns into bashing of women and feminism, frankincense moving the absorption distant from men’s concerns.

However, galore sex activists person pointed retired that ‘men’ is not a homogenous group, and patriarchal structures and expectations often harm men too. Statistics from assorted fields amusement men are struggling: much men than women termination themselves; men are much astatine hazard of bosom attacks; much younger men look attracted to utmost governmental ideologies, arsenic evident from voting numbers successful respective countries; and an ‘epidemic of loneliness’ among men is progressively being talked about. In India, schoolgirls often execute amended than boys successful committee exams.

Thus, experts accidental that a time to absorption attraction connected men’s problems — bullying, loneliness, depression, violence, health, unit to execute the alpha antheral individuality — is important, arsenic agelong arsenic it does that, and does not descend into the ‘women are the enemy’ trap.

Feminists person besides pointed retired that if men are isolated, unhappy, and lonely, the satellite becomes much unsafe for women and different genders.