International Men's Day 2018
It is important that
issues affecting men are not only highlighted but are discussed with the aim of
finding solutions in order to achieve harmonious gender relations and
sustainable development. Most societies operate on a patriarchal paradigm;
however, there are those of us who fail to admit that not all men benefit from
the male privilege afforded by being born male. Each year International Men’s Day (IMD) is
commemorated on November 19. Some might argue that the day is far from
international since only approximately eighty (80) countries globally observe
this very important day. Unfortunately, International
Men’s Day lacks the United Nations (UN) ‘international’ backing. The blessings
of the UN would certainly go a far way in giving IMD more power. Regardless, IMD has been around since the late
1960’S particularly with observances in the United States of America, parts of
Europe and Australia. It was not until 1999 however that International Men’s
Day was revamped when Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh, a Trinidadian of the University
of the West Indies organized events commemorating the day. The aim of having an
International Men’s Day is sandwiched between bringing awareness to issues affecting
boys and men as well as being a vehicle for male empowerment. Each year a
specific theme is selected. Events are
then organized to give support to the theme. The theme for this year is “Positive
Male Role Models.” This theme is rather opportune and appropriate since so many
of our young men are in need of positive male role models.
Pillars of International Men’s Day
There are six pillars of International Men’s Day. These are: to promote positive male role models, to celebrate men’s positive contribution to society, community, family, marriage, child care and the environment, to focus on men’s health and wellbeing, to advance gender relations, to encourage gender equality and finally, to create a safer and better world where people can grow to achieve their full potential. As the society continues to evolve we must acknowledge that there are good men who serve as positive role models. A society which does not appreciate and highlight positive male role models runs the risk of retreating into a state of chaos, embedded in a sea of toxic masculinity which inevitably will erode good family life. The society however needs to widen the discourse surrounding men’s issues. At times the conversation regarding men’s issue seems too academic; tucked away in a privileged space. The dialogue must involve the narratives of more men; from the man who wipes the car windscreen at the intersection, to the university professor, from the farmer in the rural area, to the male who lives in the inner-city. There must be a realization that multiple masculinities exist and that the input of a cross section of males is critical in order for the State to create policies, programmes and plans necessary to address issues affecting men. The University of the West Indies will be hosting a public forum to mark International Men’s Day. The focus of the seminar will be on paternity leave as a way of promoting gender equality. Paternity leave is a period of absence from work with permission granted to a father before or after the birth or adoption of a child. This time off from work is usually a combination of paid and partially paid leave given in order to facilitate the father time to bond with his new born. Among the countries with very generous paternity leave policies are the Scandinavian countries. In Sweden, fathers received ninety (90) paid paternity days. In Norway, fathers can receive up to 10 weeks paternity leave depending on their wives’ income. In Finland, fathers are granted eight weeks of paid leave. Outside of the Nordic countries, Japan and South Korea offer extended paternity leave. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) fathers are entitled to up to 12 months paid paternity leave in both countries. However, in Japan, only about 3 per cent of fathers take paternity leave. In Slovenia, fathers are guaranteed ninety days paid paternity leave. The first 15 days are paid at 100 percent of their salary while the remaining 75 days are paid at minimum wage. Undoubtedly, becoming a parent is an awesome responsibility and newborns require around the clock care and protection. Having paternity leave for fathers is clearly a good way to foster a spirit of family in the society.
The Importance of Positive Male Role Models
Research has shown that having a positive male role model has a profound impact on the lives of children. Children need role models in order for them to emulate and develop acceptable behavior traits. Studies prove that children without positive male role models are more likely to be involved in criminal activity, premarital sexual activity, do poorer in school. Peer pressure is real and ever present and life is more challenging without having a positive role model to emulate. We all need someone to talk with and knowing that a positive role model is available makes life less burdensome. Our boys in particular require positive male role models in order for them to experience and mirror positive masculine characteristics. Disturbingly, emotional and spiritual fatherlessness has become the norm in the society. We continue to perpetrate the gender stereotype than real men don’t cry or show emotions and even in homes where fathers are present many are emotionally detached from their son. As a result we have a lot of dysfunctional families and brokenness in families. Given that more than half of all families are single female headed households it is important for mothers to identify positive male roles for their sons. Clearly, there is much work to be done in order for the society to develop a culture which supports positive male role models.
Collaboration with Church and Education
As the nation pause to celebrate and commemorate International Men’s Day it would be enlightening to see more partnerships with the church as well as the education system in marking the occasion. It is an open secret that there is a lack of testosterone in the churches’ pews. The observance of IMD can be used as a mechanism to be utilized in various outreach programmes by different denominations to craft programmes geared at reaching men for Christ. The church has a great role to play in assisting men to become mentors, better fathers and role models in the society. The education system continues to bemoan the fact that girls continue to outperform boys at all levels of the education system. The observance of International Men’s Day could be the perfect platform used to interrogate issues affecting our young men, issues such as boys’ underachievement and under-performance especially at the secondary level. Our young men are in dire need of mentorship and as such having positive male role models is one way of addressing this need. In addressing issues affecting boys and men there is also a need to have more males at the fore in drafting policies to do same. The same way in which men cannot fully understand and create polices to enhance and empower women, women cannot fully understand the needs of men.
The construction of family, as well as how we define the family in the Caribbean and specifically in Jamaica is not always confined to wedlock. The Jamaican state however does recognize common law unions, but not polygamy. The authorities must also take into account other religions outside Christianity where the family is perhaps defined in different ways at arriving at a paternity leave policy. There is no shortage of examples from which the State can look in terms of developing a policy regarding paternity leave for our fathers. International Men’s Day provides the ideal platform by which to engage, inform, and celebrate men from all spheres. Unquestionably, paying attention to issues affecting boys and men has a tremendous positive benefit not only for families, but for the wider society as well as to enhance sustainable development goal #5. On this very significant day let us as males celebrate our collective masculinity while at the same time recognizing that there are multiple masculinities and accompanying differences.
“Being male is a matter of birth, being a man is a matter of age but being a gentleman is a matter of choice.” –Vin Diesel
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo
#InternationalMensDay #positiverolemodels #mentorship #manhood #masculinity #genderequality #SDG5 #rolemodels
Pillars of International Men’s Day
There are six pillars of International Men’s Day. These are: to promote positive male role models, to celebrate men’s positive contribution to society, community, family, marriage, child care and the environment, to focus on men’s health and wellbeing, to advance gender relations, to encourage gender equality and finally, to create a safer and better world where people can grow to achieve their full potential. As the society continues to evolve we must acknowledge that there are good men who serve as positive role models. A society which does not appreciate and highlight positive male role models runs the risk of retreating into a state of chaos, embedded in a sea of toxic masculinity which inevitably will erode good family life. The society however needs to widen the discourse surrounding men’s issues. At times the conversation regarding men’s issue seems too academic; tucked away in a privileged space. The dialogue must involve the narratives of more men; from the man who wipes the car windscreen at the intersection, to the university professor, from the farmer in the rural area, to the male who lives in the inner-city. There must be a realization that multiple masculinities exist and that the input of a cross section of males is critical in order for the State to create policies, programmes and plans necessary to address issues affecting men. The University of the West Indies will be hosting a public forum to mark International Men’s Day. The focus of the seminar will be on paternity leave as a way of promoting gender equality. Paternity leave is a period of absence from work with permission granted to a father before or after the birth or adoption of a child. This time off from work is usually a combination of paid and partially paid leave given in order to facilitate the father time to bond with his new born. Among the countries with very generous paternity leave policies are the Scandinavian countries. In Sweden, fathers received ninety (90) paid paternity days. In Norway, fathers can receive up to 10 weeks paternity leave depending on their wives’ income. In Finland, fathers are granted eight weeks of paid leave. Outside of the Nordic countries, Japan and South Korea offer extended paternity leave. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) fathers are entitled to up to 12 months paid paternity leave in both countries. However, in Japan, only about 3 per cent of fathers take paternity leave. In Slovenia, fathers are guaranteed ninety days paid paternity leave. The first 15 days are paid at 100 percent of their salary while the remaining 75 days are paid at minimum wage. Undoubtedly, becoming a parent is an awesome responsibility and newborns require around the clock care and protection. Having paternity leave for fathers is clearly a good way to foster a spirit of family in the society.
The Importance of Positive Male Role Models
Research has shown that having a positive male role model has a profound impact on the lives of children. Children need role models in order for them to emulate and develop acceptable behavior traits. Studies prove that children without positive male role models are more likely to be involved in criminal activity, premarital sexual activity, do poorer in school. Peer pressure is real and ever present and life is more challenging without having a positive role model to emulate. We all need someone to talk with and knowing that a positive role model is available makes life less burdensome. Our boys in particular require positive male role models in order for them to experience and mirror positive masculine characteristics. Disturbingly, emotional and spiritual fatherlessness has become the norm in the society. We continue to perpetrate the gender stereotype than real men don’t cry or show emotions and even in homes where fathers are present many are emotionally detached from their son. As a result we have a lot of dysfunctional families and brokenness in families. Given that more than half of all families are single female headed households it is important for mothers to identify positive male roles for their sons. Clearly, there is much work to be done in order for the society to develop a culture which supports positive male role models.
Collaboration with Church and Education
As the nation pause to celebrate and commemorate International Men’s Day it would be enlightening to see more partnerships with the church as well as the education system in marking the occasion. It is an open secret that there is a lack of testosterone in the churches’ pews. The observance of IMD can be used as a mechanism to be utilized in various outreach programmes by different denominations to craft programmes geared at reaching men for Christ. The church has a great role to play in assisting men to become mentors, better fathers and role models in the society. The education system continues to bemoan the fact that girls continue to outperform boys at all levels of the education system. The observance of International Men’s Day could be the perfect platform used to interrogate issues affecting our young men, issues such as boys’ underachievement and under-performance especially at the secondary level. Our young men are in dire need of mentorship and as such having positive male role models is one way of addressing this need. In addressing issues affecting boys and men there is also a need to have more males at the fore in drafting policies to do same. The same way in which men cannot fully understand and create polices to enhance and empower women, women cannot fully understand the needs of men.
The construction of family, as well as how we define the family in the Caribbean and specifically in Jamaica is not always confined to wedlock. The Jamaican state however does recognize common law unions, but not polygamy. The authorities must also take into account other religions outside Christianity where the family is perhaps defined in different ways at arriving at a paternity leave policy. There is no shortage of examples from which the State can look in terms of developing a policy regarding paternity leave for our fathers. International Men’s Day provides the ideal platform by which to engage, inform, and celebrate men from all spheres. Unquestionably, paying attention to issues affecting boys and men has a tremendous positive benefit not only for families, but for the wider society as well as to enhance sustainable development goal #5. On this very significant day let us as males celebrate our collective masculinity while at the same time recognizing that there are multiple masculinities and accompanying differences.
“Being male is a matter of birth, being a man is a matter of age but being a gentleman is a matter of choice.” –Vin Diesel
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo
#InternationalMensDay #positiverolemodels #mentorship #manhood #masculinity #genderequality #SDG5 #rolemodels
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