6 reasons why International Men’s Day is celebrated

It’s International Men’s Day today. A day that most men will readily and quickly joke as being, one day too short as “the rest of the year belongs to women anyway!".

International Men's Day (IMD) is celebrated every year on November 19, but unlike women’s day, there are no special celebrations done on this day. In fact, a lot of people don’t even know that there is a day dedicated especially to men.

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History

While International Women’s Day was inaugurated as early as 1909, men have been demanding for an International Men's Day since 1969. Finally, International Men's Day was relaunched in the year 1999 by Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, who is a doctor from Trinidad and Tobago. He chose the date November 19 to honour his father’s birthday.

The inaugural celebration of IMD in India was organized by the leading Indian Men's rights organization Indian Family on 19 November 2007. The date of 19 November was accepted based on the fact that Australia and the West Indies (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago) were already observing IMD on that date.The event was again celebrated in India in 2008, and plans were made to continue the celebration annually.

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Here are six reasons why IMD is celebrated:
1. It is an occasion to celebrate boys' and men's lives, achievements and contributions, in particular for their contributions to nation, union, society, community, family, marriage, and childcare.

2. The broader and ultimate aim of the event is to promote basic awareness towards men's issues. Therefore, this day is observed on an annual basis to address all the issues men quietly face on a global scale.

3. As per Dr Teelucksingh, the motive behind celebrating International Men’s Day was not only to address issues relating to men and boys but to explore and initiate conversations on taboo topics like men’s mental health and male suicide.

4. Additionally, International Men’s Day is commemorated to mark the contribution of men who positively influence their gender and act as role models.

5. International Men’s Day also encourages men to teach the boys in their lives the values, character and responsibilities of being a man. Mahatma Gandhi said, “We must become the change we seek.” It is only when we all, both men and women, lead by example that we will create a fair and safe society that allows everyone the opportunity to prosper.

6. In short, it is a day for men and about men and is about marking the role of men in family, society, community and the world at large. The theme for the day this year is ‘Better health for men and boys’ with the aim to make practical improvements to the health and well-being of the male population.

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