Hello, you were asking when International Men’s Day is?
If you were to catch me on one of my more cynical days, I would cry from the rooftops: “It’s every day! Can’t you give us just one day?!”
However, if you want me to be entirely factual about it, November 19 is the answer.
Today, however, is March 8, International Women’s Day. It has been celebrated since 1908, but it was only officially named International Women’s Day in 1911 in Copenhagen.
The day was designated because women were not allowed to vote and were not eligible for equal work hours or pay, not because they just wanted a random day for themselves.
It is rather ironic that this day that strives for equality is overridden by males complaining about the existence of the day. Social media becomes filled with men shouting, “BUt wHeN Is InTeRnAtIoNaL MeNs DaY” (as if it doesn’t exist).
Google searches for International Men’s Day also spike the most on, you guessed it, International Women’s Day.
Am I to conclude that lots of men only care about International Men’s Day when there is an opposing day that makes them feel like they are unequal and are somehow the ones disadvantaged? How messed up is that??
Wouldn’t it be incredible if men could understand the uncomfortable feeling that this perceived ‘lack of equality’ gives them and then consider how women may feel like this almost every day?
But today is not the day to be worried about whether men are getting a fair crack of the whip; it is about addressing the historical imbalances of women and those that are still prevalent today.
Of 195 countries in the world, only FOURTEEN have full equal rights for women. Let that sink in for a second. In 181 countries around the world, you are legally allowed to discriminate against women in one way or another.
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For those of you interested in golf-based Human Rights debates, Saudi Arabia is ranked 136th, up 59 spots since 2019 due to significant law changes. So, who ranks dead last? Qatar. Home of the 2024 DP World Tour Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
I could reel endless stats at you from different areas of the world showing where and how women are treated unequally, but at the end of the day, most of this comes down to perception and unconscious bias.
Society determines the differences of value between men and women every day, and unless we actively question this, we are not making progress.
So, on this International Women’s Day, I would like to ask for positive male role models and to promote positive masculinity. It is not nice to feel unequal, and today is an opportunity for people everywhere to reflect on where we need to continue to strive for equality.
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