'If you're threatened by International Women's Day - just admit you hate women'
Silent men love to get loud on March 8, when the world is supposed to be busy celebrating International Women's Day (IWD).
The global initiative calls for a world 'free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination' - but this has clearly been lost in translation for swathes of belligerent men who feel personally victimised by an arguably low-bar mission. Apparently, celebrating women's achievements and shedding light on misogyny can only come at the expense of leaving men to bleed in the gutter.
As a result, lads across the nation are scrambling over their keyboards - demanding a date dedicated to them and the issues we exclusively face. Spoiler alert: that already exists. It's November 19 - so be a doll and pop it in your calendar.
Global Google searches for 'International Men's Day' (IMD) spike every year in March, as more women and companies start to be vocal about the global initiative. In fact, in 2016 more people searched for Men's Day on IWD than they did in the November before. Similarly, in 2013, there were about 25,000 tweets about IMD - but two-fifths of them occurred on IWD.
These redundant calls for an International Men's Day are nothing but an infantile retaliation to the very notion that patriarchy still exists. But in case you need reminding, one in four women will experience domestic abuse during their lifetime, and more than 100 women are killed by men in the UK every year.
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And this isn't because of extremists with troubling search history and Nazi tattoos hidden beneath their clothing. This is the husband next door, the work colleague who stayed late at the office, the friend who insisted he'd drive you home. If sharks posed as much danger as men did to women - our oceans would be crimson by now.
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One of the main points men tend to make when pushing for International Men's Day is the alarming suicide rates we have. According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 5,642 suicides registered in England and Wales in 2022. Almost three-quarters (74.1 per cent) of these deaths were males.
This stark reality is often attributed to men not being able to speak about their emotions or feel like they can ask for help. But this is even more of a reason to try and dismantle the patriarchy and bolster International Women's Day. Why? Because it is inherently linked to a demonisation of femininity and demand for toxic masculinity.
A system that bolsters men to be in charge, to be strong and powerful, to go to war and provide for their families - is one that also teaches them to bottle things up, refuse help, and bury their trauma. Admitting you're struggling is perceived as feminine, as femininity is seen as lesser than, as bad .
I highlighted this back in 2021, recounting the many occasions men had vilified me for being gay, for having traits closer associated with women and challenging what a man should look like and behave. Consequently. I received a slew of homophobic abuse, was labelled a 'soy boy, 'snowflake' and told I needed to have my 'head caved in with a cricket bat'. One man said the article made him 'weep for the future of man kind' (drama queen). I didn't think I needed any assistance in making my case - but I sure appreciated the help.
I didn't think I had to spell this out, but weaponising suicide statistics to besmirch International Women's Day is not productive. They are separate issues, and we shouldn't enter a competition of who has it worse because you're too fragile to accept women are deserving of such an initiative. Nobody screams with fury when it's Lung Cancer Awareness Week because Blood Cancer 'also kills people'.
So to any man wondering why you don't have an International Men's Day - you do. Unfortunately, you're probably the reason why we need it.
*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch
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