Celebrations
International Men’s Day: Origin, meaning and why it’s celebrated on November 19
International Men’s Day has been celebrated on this day for several years, but not everyone knows where and why it all began.
International Men’s Day is celebrated annually on November 19 with the aim of promoting the well-being of men and boys worldwide, fostering better gender relations, achieving equality, and highlighting positive male role models.
The 25-year origin of International Men’s Day
The individual responsible for establishing International Men’s Day was Thomas Oaster, a professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas, who advocated for the initiative in 1992. However, it wasn’t until 1999 that the International Men’s Committee officially proclaimed the date globally in Trinidad and Tobago, formally inaugurated by lecturer, Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, on November 19.
The initial objectives of International Men’s Day were:
- Promoting the health of men and boys
- Improving gender relations
- Encouraging greater gender equality
- Highlighting positive male role models
Fun Fact: International Men’s Day is celebrated in over 60 countries across Oceania, the Caribbean, North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa, as well as by United Nations agencies. The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has outlined the fundamental pillars of this date as follows:
- Promoting positive male role models: ordinary men leading decent and honest lives.
- Celebrating men’s positive contributions to society, communities, families, marriage, childcare, and the environment.
- Focusing on men’s health and well-being in social, emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions.
Did you know? Men living in the Americas tend to live five to seven years less than women. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the leading causes of mortality among men include diabetes, HIV/AIDS, car accidents, suicide, injuries, cardiovascular diseases, and others.
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