Overview
- The annual Nov. 19 observance is marked in about 80 countries but is not a United Nations-designated day.
- Organisers are streaming a nine-hour programme on the official IMD YouTube channel featuring speakers sharing real stories and practical support for men and boys.
- The day promotes positive role models, responsible fatherhood and healthier, less stereotyped expressions of masculinity to improve gender relations.
- Coverage highlights persistent health gaps, including shorter male life expectancy and higher suicide rates, and urges earlier help-seeking and better services.
- The modern observance was established by Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh in Trinidad and Tobago in 1999, building on early 1990s efforts by Thomas Oaster, with India later becoming a major adopter credited in part to activist Uma Challa.