Historic groundswell of support for International Men’s Day — a national platform for making a difference to men and boys

“Not every day in International Men’s Day” meme card

campaign launched tomorrow: www.ukmensday.org.uk/memecards

This year sees the greatest ever recognition of International Men’s Day in the UK, with 60 events, campaigns and activities¹ marking the day (19^th November), far more than in 2015. This includes a “Not every day in International Men’s Day” meme card campaign officially launched on International Men’s Day in partnership with the newly launched Men and Boys Coalition (www.menandboyscoalition.org.uk)

These events range from three history-making landmark moments from the first ever Prime Ministerial endorsement of the Day² , a House of Commons Parliamentary debate³  in the main chamber to the launch of the new organisation Men and Boys Coalition on men and boys’ issues⁴. In the Parliamentary debate, the Labour Party also declared support for the Day.

Spanning the whole month of November there are also a whole range of activities marking the Day from community events, business events, staff events, university events, new services and organisation launches, lectures, school/college lessons, conferences, film launches, exhibitions and a book signing.

The annual day provides a national platform for focusing on men’s health and wellbeing; supporting boys’ education and learning; promoting male role models; celebrating the contributions men make to their communities; highlighting the challenges men face and creating a safer world for everyone.

This theme for International Men’s Day in 2016 continues to be “Making a Difference for Men and Boys” with a particular focus on supporting boys with their academic, employment, personal, social and health education, and, a continuation of the 2015 focus on male suicide.

The International Men’s Day team⁵ in the UK said: “Each year, International Men’s Day gets bigger and bigger with an increasingly diverse range of organisations holding an increasingly diverse range of events. It shows the growing recognition across the UK of the need to address issues facing men and boys and celebrate the contributions men and boys make to society. International Men’s Day provides a perfect focus and platform for those wanting to make a difference for men and boys.”

The UK theme (Making a Difference for Men and Boys) is designed to help more people consider what action we can all take to Make a Difference by addressing some of the issues that affect Men and Boys such as:

• The high male suicide rate
• The challenges faced by boys and men at all stages of education including attainment
• Men’s health, shorter life expectancy and workplace deaths
• The challenges faced by the most marginalised men and boys in society (for instance, homeless men, boys in care and the high rate of male deaths in custody)
• Male victims of violence, including sexual violence
• The challenges faced by men as parents, particularly new fathers and separated fathers
• Male victims and survivors of sexual abuse, rape, sexual exploitation, domestic abuse, forced marriage, honour-based crime, stalking and slavery
• The negative portrayal of men, boys and fathers

International Men’s Day in the UK takes a gender inclusive approach and therefore believes in ensuring that issues affecting women and girls are also resolved.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

“Not every day in International Men’s Day” meme card campaign  www.ukmensday.org.uk/memecards

 1          The International Men’s Day UK events page:           https://ukmensday.org.uk/events/list/

 2          Prime Minister and Government become first to endorse International Men’s Day: “A       Landmark Moment”: https://ukmensday.org.uk/pm2016/

3.         House of Commons debate (17 November 2016) http://calendar.parliament.uk/calendar/Commons/All/2016/11/17/Daily

4          Men and Boys Coalition (www.menandboyscoalition.org.uk) was launched in the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday 15 November 2016

5.         The International Men’s Day Team are:

Glen Poole, UK Coordinator of International Men’s Day

Dan Bell, Features Editor, insideMAN magazine

Mark Brooks, Chair, The ManKind Initiative charity

Martin Daubney, Journalist and broadcaster

Ally Fogg, Writer and Journalist

Dr Ben Hine, Lecturer in Psychology, University of West London

For further information

Please visit: www.ukmensday.org.uk

Email: contact@ukmensday.org.uk