International Men’s Day 2013 – Keeping Men And Boys Safe

It’s 19 November again and it means it’s International Men’s Day again.

This year the theme is Keeping Men and Boys Safe. The day is generally about focusing on ‘on men’s and boy’s health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role models’.

Protection of men and boys is something that is ignored in mainstream pop culture.

The Helping Men blog came up with a few ideas on how to keep men and boys safe:

Keeping Men And Boys Safe By Tackling Male Suicide – Most suicides are by men
Keeping Boys Safe So They Can Become Tomorrow’s Role Models – Boys from all backgrounds from should have access to safety
Tackling Our Tolerance Of Violence Against Men And Boys – Every year over half a million people die from violence and 83% of them are Men and Boys. And when a male is beaten up it is tolerated.
Boosting Men’s Life Expectancy By Keeping Men And Boys Safe From Avoidable Illness And Death – consider how we can help more men live longer, happier, healthier lives
Keeping Men And Boys Safe By Promoting Fathers And Male Role Models – Happy and positive transition to men from boys. Also make sure that positive role models in popular culture are something to aspire to.

A few ideas to consider there in keeping men safe.

How do you think we can keep men safe in Zimbabwe? How can we help protect men and boys? This is pertinent when we think of a lost generation in the tumultuous years of political and economic unrest. A lot of boys and young men have been lost to a life that isn’t the safest for them.

A lot of them have been caught up in politics in one way or the other and have forgotten self-development. Now that the political game has slowed down, a lot of them find themselves without a place in modern society.

So on this International Men’s Day, think of what can be done for this group.