Helping Men and Boys

“All of us have to recognize that being a man is first and foremost being a good human. That means being responsible, being reliable working hard, being kind, respectful, compassionate.”- Barack Obama. The specific issues which are associated with men are oftentimes regulated to the back burner in most societies. Disturbingly, even in societies with a designated government ministry of gender affairs men’s issues are not given the same level of priority or the space necessary to have a meaningful and frank discussion regarding how best to address the unique needs of men and boys. Perhaps the disregard concerning men’s issues is done consciously in an effort to counter the prevailing view that patriarchy is pervasive and that all men benefit from the structures of patriarchy. Nothing could be far from the truth given that multiple masculinities exist and marginalized men and those men who are underserved do not benefit from patriarchy. Each year the same question is asked why is there a need for society to observe and celebrate International Men’s Day (IMD) on November 19. However, the observation of such a day is important given that International Men’s Day is an opportunity for people everywhere of goodwill to appreciate and celebrate the men in their lives and the contribution they make to society for the greater good of all. Not all men are bad and evil. Undoubtedly, there is a need for safe spaces to be created for men in the society. International Men’s Day encourages men to teach the boys in their lives the values, character and responsibilities of being a man. To a great extent our boys lack positive role models. Our families are dysfunctional and lack male presence; the education system especially at the primary level is almost void of male teachers and this vacuum has been responsible for many of the social ills currently being experienced in the society. The theme for International Men’s Day is Helping Men and Boys. One of the main reasons for International Men’s Day is to raise awareness for male suicide. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse effect on the mental health of many of us. What issues does International Men’s Day seek to address? International Men’s Day seeks to address many different issues surrounding men’s mental health. This is supported by men, women and organizations in over 60 countries including Jamaica. In the United Kingdom, the focus of the International Men’s Day supports raising the awareness of the following areas: The high male suicide rate across the world, the educational challenges that face both men and boys at all stages of life, male violence, the fact that males are also victims to rape, sexual exploitation and domestic violence and the negative portrayal of men in the media and beyond. This includes male stereotypes that are used in advertising campaigns and on social media spaces. History of International Men’s Day In 1999 Trinidad and Tobago, the day was revived by Jerome Teelucksingh from the University of the West Indies. Teelucksingh realized that even though there was a day for fathers, there was no day to celebrate men who were not biological fathers, or who were young boys and teenagers. Teelucksingh understood the importance of positive male role models, as his father had been an excellent example for him. Since Teelucksingh’s revival, International Men’s Day has served to promote positive aspects of male identity based on the premise that men respond more constructively to positive role models than to negative gender stereotyping. The day is not intended to compete with International Women’s Day, but rather to highlight the importance of men’s physical and mental health and positive masculinity. Forging Partnerships As the nation pauses 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 Construction of Masculinity Perhaps the time is now to have a conversation surrounding what is masculinity. The construction of (Jamaican) masculinity is more than rigidity of the phallus. This message is difficult to get across in the Jamaican space. One just has to listen to the lyrics of the popular deejays with their skewed interpretation of masculinity and manhood. A society which does not appreciate and highlight positive male role models runs the risk of retreating into a state of disorder, embedded in a sea of toxic masculinity which inevitably will erode positive family life. There are those who might argue it is too late to save the society from itself. However, we should remain positive about the future. The conversation at times regarding men’s issues comes across as too academic; tucked away in a privileged space to the exclusion of the masses. The dialogue however 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. Unfortunately, the only time the spotlight is focused on men occurs at the crime scene. Indisputably, men are the perpetrators of most crimes. However, in order to address this, more private-public sector social investment must occur; especially in marginalized communities where boys and men are increasingly being underserved. Sadly, the education system continues to fail our males as the issues of male under-achievement and under presentation continue to plague the global education system. It is perhaps time to revisit our national gender policy in order to ensure that the rights of men are given the importance that is required to transform the space men occupy. As a society we also need to find ways and means of infusing Gender and Development into the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) to help in the process of ushering a gentler society with regards to power relations as well as to alleviate the mistrust that both sexes have of each other. Presently, Jamaica's education system does not cater adequately to the learning styles of our boys and very often our boys are wrongly labelled as being disruptive and hyperactive when in fact they are not being sufficiently challenged in the classroom space. The research has been done, boys learn differently from girls. Boys tend to be more tactile learners and must be engaged. We need to revisit the construction of Caribbean masculinity which oftentimes is associated with the smoking of marijuana, lawlessness and promiscuity. This hyper- masculine view of our males robs us implementing programmes to assist all men given that the hegemonic view of masculinity is rather misleading. Obviously there are issues which need to be addressed. There are too many unassigned males in our society and this has proven to be problematic. We have had talk shops ad nauseam; now is time for action to ensure that our males are productively engaged and will contribute positively to enhance the society, the family and indeed the community. Scaffolding Positive Masculinity Masculinity” refers to the roles, behaviours and attributes seen as appropriate for boys and men in a given society. In short, masculinity refers to society’s expectations of males. In many societies, boys and men are expected to be strong, active, aggressive, tough, daring, heterosexual, emotionally inexpressive and dominant. This is enforced by socialization, peers, popular culture and social media. On the other hand, there is toxic masculinity, The term “toxic masculinity” points to a particular version of masculinity that is unhealthy for the men and boys who conform to it, and harmful for those around them. The phrase emphasizes the worst aspects of stereotypically masculine attributes. Toxic masculinity is represented by qualities such as violence, dominance, emotional illiteracy, sexual entitlement, and hostility to femininity. Unfortunately, in many societies the push is towards toxic masculinity. Recently in Jamaica we experienced toxic masculinity on public display when a so called professional male clown was captured on video pulling passengers from a vehicle during a strike by taxi drivers. To add insult to injury one of our media houses invited this person for an interview and at the end of the proceedings presented him with a baton, similar to one which was used during his rage on members of the commuting public. Regrettably, societies continue to glorify and celebrate toxic masculinity. In fact a former United States of America president is known for this brand of disturbing masculinity yet his base has remained loyal to him through thick or thin. Celebrating Manhood Not all men subscribe to or display toxic masculinity. There are many hard-working men in the society who are responsible and support their families and play a positive role in their communities. The spotlight should be focused on such men especially on such an important day as International Men’s Day. Undoubtedly, there are many human rights issues that disproportionately or uniquely affect men and these must be discussed and addressed in a safe and solution-oriented space. It is unfortunate that in our society there are limited spaces in which men can be open and honest and share their vulnerabilities without fear of being ridiculed. As men, let us celebrate International Men’s Day in a paradigm of collective masculinity, while acknowledging the reality of multiple masculinities. The time is now for men to recommit and pledge their support in the campaign to improve gender relations in the society. Internationally, men should be encouraged to continue playing their positive roles in their families, communities and in nation building and development. To all 'di man dem', Happy International Men’s Day! In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr., the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. 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 #IMD #masculinity #manhood #gendersocialization #genderequality