Growing a tash for Movember? Here’s to International Men’s Day

Today we’re marking International Men’s Day, which is aimed at making a positive difference to men and boys’ health, wellbeing and lives by raising awareness of and promoting positive conversations about men, manhood and masculinity.

International Men’s Day in the UK is celebrated every year on 19 November – it’s celebrated around the world in at least 80 countries.

Why is there an International Men’s Day? Current statistics show that there are many issues negatively affecting men and boys.

These include:

• Suicide — 3 out of 4 suicides are men
• Men’s health — 33 men die per day from prostate cancer (12,031 men in 2017)
• Mental health — Over a fifth of men reported their #mentalhealth had worsened compared to before COVID-19. A third admitted they felt lonely more often.
• Covid-19 – men make up 61% of all deaths. 18,671 men have lost their lives due to Covid-19 up until 14 October 2020.
• Exclusions — boys have more than three times the number of permanent exclusions
• GCSEs — in 2019, boys have had worse exam results than girls for 30 years.
• Homelessness — 85% are male
• Prison — 96% incarcerated are male
• Domestic abuse — one in three victims are male
• Sexual Violence/Abuse — 140,000 men were estimated to have been victims of sexual assault in 2017/18. 12,000 men were raped or victims of attempted rape in 2017/18.

We know many of these issues may not be discussed in everyday life.

This is why support celebrations such as International Men’s Day and projects that promote positive examples of men and boys in our local communities.

In Newham and Hackney, the Smile-ing Boys project by Kay Rufai addresses the mental health needs of black boys and challenge the negative portrayal of this demographic in the media.

We’ve also supported the Men’s Shed, coordinated by Trowbridge Gardens in Hackney Wick, a workshop that helps men over 50s mental health by getting them involved in gardening.

Growing a tash for Movember is a great example of the many global campaigns linked to International Men’s Day, raising funds for and awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s suicide.

In the UK, activities take place throughout the month including Parliamentary debate, policy launches, employer days, community events, health days, business events, debates, student events, political events, gigs, conferences, competitions, comedy nights and charity fundraisers – the most anywhere in the world.

If you have a great project idea to support health and wellbeing for men and boys, have a look at our grants page to find out how you can get your ideas off the ground.

You can read more facts and figures on the International Men’s Day in the UK website, as well as find out how to get involved.