Celebrating positive role models for International Men's Day

International Men’s Day (IMD) is an annual international event celebrated every year on November 19.

The theme for this year's celebrations is positive role models. International Men’s Day will celebrate worldwide the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities.

The day was conceived on February 8, 1991. It was inaugurated in February 1992 by Thomas Oaster and was re-initialised in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago, a media release said.

The longest yearly celebrant of IMD is Malta, where events have occurred since February 7, 1994, the release said.

Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, a Newsday columnist, who revived the event, chose November 19 to honour his father’s birthday and Trinidad and Tobago's World Cup football efforts. Understanding the importance of celebrating good male role models, he felt that his own father had been an example of an excellent role model. It was also to celebrate how, on that date in 1989, TT’s football team brought a level of unity which transcended gender, religious and ethnic divisions, the release said.

Teelucksingh has promoted IMD as not just a gendered day but a day where all issues affecting men and boys can be addressed. In the release he said of IMD and its grassroots activists: “They are striving for gender equality and patiently attempt to remove the negative images and the stigma associated with men in our society.”

IMD is supported by a variety of individuals and groups in Oceania, the Caribbean, North America, Asia, Europe and Africa.

It is celebrated in over 70 countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Burundi, Canada, the Cayman Islands, China, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, France, Ghana, Grenada, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Malta, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Zimbabwe, and global support for the celebration is broad, the release said.

Events include focusing on men’s and boys' health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting male role models.

"IMD also encourages men to teach the boys in their lives the values, character and responsibilities of being a man," internationalmensday.com said on its website.

In highlighting positive male role models IMD attempts to show that males of all ages respond much more energetically to positive role models than they do to negative stereotyping, the release said.

IMD also seeks to highlight discrimination against men and boys and to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular to community, family, marriage, and childcare.

IMD is followed by Universal Children’s Day on November 20, forming a 48-hour celebration of men and children, respectively, the release said. Additionally, November is also occasionally recognised as International Men’s Month.

International Men’s Day mission

To promote positive role models for everyday working-class men who are living decent and honest lives.

To celebrate men’s positive contributions to society, community, family, marriage, childcare and the environment.

To focus on men’s health and well-being – social, emotional, physical and spiritual.

To highlight discrimination against men in the area of social services, social attributes and expectations and the law.

To improve gender relations and promote gender equality.

To promote a safer, better world, where people can be safe and grow to reach their full potential.