International Men's Day is commemorated across the world to celebrate significant contributions by the male population to society and to spread awareness about the issues that men face.
The main objectives of celebrating an International Men's Day include, focusing on men's and boys' health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting male role models. The broader and ultimate aim of the event is to promote basic humanitarian values.
The event is celebrated every year on November 19. It was started in the February of 1992 by Thomas Oaster, however, the project of International Men's Day was planned a year earlier on February 8, 1991.
The project was re-initialised in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago.
Why the day is celebrated on November 19?
Jerome Teelucksingh, who revived the event, chose November 19 to honour his father's birthday and also to celebrate how on that date in 1989 Trinidad and Tobago's soccer team had united the country with their endeavours to qualify for the soccer world cup.
Dr Teelucksingh promoted International Men's Day as a day where all issues affecting men and boys can be addressed. He talked about the day and its grass roots activists, "They are striving for gender equality and patiently attempt to remove the negative images and the stigma associated with men in our society."
Despite the existence of International Men's Day over the past two decades, this is not as popular as International Women’s Day, which takes place on March 8 every year.
Comments
0 comment