Launched in 1999, and now celebrated in more than 80 countries worldwide, International Men’s Day is getting stronger and stronger. Web enquiries this year are up 35%. The theme for IMD 2019 is “Making a Difference for Men and Boys”.

Warwick Marsh from Australia, and coordinator for www.internationalmensday.com said, “Masculinity has been derided for almost half a century and the male of the species is showing a lot of wear and tear in vital statistics. Sadly, the most popular adjective to describe masculinity is found in the very popular phrase, “Toxic Masculinity”.

The Australia Bureau of Statistics pointed out many years ago that men fare worse than women in education, health and crime. The simple facts are that men are killing themselves between three and four times the rate of women and they die on average four years earlier. To a lesser or greater extent these figures are mirrored across the western world.

Many experts around the world point out that we have a men’s health crisis. We are certainly suffering an epidemic in men’s suicide in western countries and we now need to do something about it. Now is the time to make a difference for men and boys. So, let’s use this day to brighten up their world. We encourage you to wish every man and boy you meet happy International Men’s Day on 19 November.”

Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh, founder of International Men’s Day, from Trinidad & Tobago said, “International Men’s Day has the potential to become a global medium to heal our world. The concept and themes of International Men’s Day are designed to give hope to the depressed, faith to the lonely, comfort to the broken-hearted, transcend barriers, eliminate stereotypes and create a more caring humanity.

Since its inception in 1999, International Men’s Day has blossomed into a movement which promotes goodwill and has positively transformed the lives of many people all around the globe. Every year I am overjoyed to witness and read testimonies of persons who genuinely believe that the observance of International Men’s Day has resulted in greater stability in their lives and guided them from darkness into light.”

In the UK, the focus of International Men’s Day supports raising awareness of the following:

– The high male suicide rate across the world
– The educational challenges that face both men and boys at all stages of life
– Men’s health, their shorter life expectancy and the fact that they suffer from workplace deaths at a much higher rate than women
– Male violence, and the fact that males are also victims to things such as rape, sexual exploitation and domestic violence
– The challenges faced by men as parents, especially as single parents or parents that do not have a good relationship with the Mother of their children. There is also focus on Fathers rights
– Male survivors of violence or abuse, including domestic abuse
– The negative portrayal of men in the media and beyond. This includes male stereotypes that are used by well-known brands in advertising campaigns

Connect with International Men’s Day via their Website and on Facebook