Is it Actually a Man’s World?

The 19^th day of November is celebrated as the International Men’s Day, but did you notice any major campaign running around for this very day? As per what I have seen, the brands talking about Men’s Day could be counted on fingers and no more. Unlike most of the celebrated days, this event never gets enough traction neither from brands nor the people. The companies shelling out millions on campaigns related to Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Women’s Day were as silent as stones and nobody would bat an eye on the same. This is the stark reality and the brutal truth of how much we value and respect the men of our society. The people who would be advocating gender equality and supporting the cause being an activist were silent on the International Men’s Day. Although it is not a new thing to be noticed, but somebody had to say it out loud and this is where I am putting my thoughts in respect to all the men out there, working day and night to support the families, with or without any such appreciation, because as per the society, they got to work owing to their gender.

The month of October was dedicated as the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, where the brands, celebrities and influential figures from across the world came forward to spread awareness for this dreadful disease. For across the month, there were posts, campaigns, and videos in the regards of Breast Cancer. Then came the month of November, where there is a campaign called ‘No Shave November’ pulled off by many men across the world. But, have you read about it in the mainstream media at all? Sadly, the answer would be no. None of us are really aware of what this campaign is, knowing what it is for is a far-fetched thought.

‘No Shave November’ is a campaign to spread awareness towards the Testicular Cancer and how can men prevent this dreadful disease. Further, the amount they save by not shaving in a month is shared with the people suffering from Testicular Cancer for their treatment. Yet, no brand, celebrity or activist will talk about it, as it is not helping them to reap benefits of talking about such issues.

If this was not all, let me throw some light on the mental health of this gender, as we believe it to be strong and less sensitive. As per a study of the World Health Organization, there were about 7,93,000 cases of suicides in 2016 and a bigger percentage of this number was the male gender. Further, as per BBC report, suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 45. Although suicide attempts are higher in the case of females, the methods used by males are much more violent, enabling them to succeed.

Here are a few more statistics to consider before we think of ignoring this gender and the issues related to them. Men:

• Constitute 76% of the suicides 
• Constitute 84% of homeless people 
• Victims of 40% of domestic abuse 
• Victims of most violent crimes
• Serve 63% longer prison sentences
• 93% of deaths in the workplace
• To be imprisoned 3.4 times more than women for the same crime

Why is it so that the number of suicides is higher amongst men? Remember the sentences like, “Be a man”, “Man up”, “Boys don’t cry”, “Men are less sensitive” and so? Exactly, this is what the society trains each and every man out there, making them less expressive and quiet; where they bottle up their feelings because as per the society, men shall not express their feelings or they will be considered ‘girly’. This leads to different issues like anger, rage, depression and suicidal tendencies, and the result is always bitter. Who is to blame? The government or the brands or the system? No, it is you, me, and every one of us responsible for such an atrocious situation, never letting males express themselves, never telling them it is okay to cry, to talk their heart out or that we are there for them. We always have been surrounded by them, with their love and support, isn’t it our duty to voice their feelings or lend an ear to listen to their issues for a change? 

It is high time that the media turns sensitive about the issues faced by males, instead of merely focusing on the other gender alone. Where brands have been promoting equality and awareness, they actually need to understand and follow the true meaning of equality, where it is not only about females alone. And for us, as fellow human beings, we require to be kind towards everyone, disregard the gender, acknowledge the work and respect people, for it won’t bring any harm, but surely reduce the number of suicide cases from the world.

Remember, International Men’s Day is not about celebrating the achievements of males across different fields in the world or men’s rights issues, but it is about the men who feel lonely, disrespected, forgotten and abandoned. It is for the men who are contemplating suicide, staring at the cliff’s edge. It is about sharing the thought of acceptance and togetherness with them before it is too late. They are as fragile and need help as the next person to you. Don’t wait for the next year, start today. After all, it is not about just a day, but a lifetime of co-existence.