International Men Day 19 Nov 2010 1st Time Kot Addu

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Our final guest is Yousaf Jamal, who is the Pakistan Coordinator for International Men’s Day and the President and Founder of the first and only Men’s activism organization in Pakistan Rights and Rights International. Yousaf lives in Kot Addu and is the father of 8 children - 3 boys and 5 girls.    Yousaf has observed in Pakistan over the last few years, that a lot of feminist organizations paint the whole male gender as cruel. Likewise in some prevailing laws there are many discriminatory clauses against men, particularly in Family Law. The Harassment in the Work Place Act is totally anti-male. And he has witnessed the steady decline of male participation at Higher Education and University level. He also believes that the observance of an International Women’s Day by the United Nation without a counterpart is discriminatory. In order to highlight the issues being faced by men in Pakistan he started the male activist organization Rights and Rights International, this year in 2010.   Yousaf Jamal held a very successful seminar on International Men’s Day, with many lawyers, educationists, social activists and representatives of Women’s organizations attending the seminar. Special tributes were paid to prominent male role models. Problems such as the under-representation of males in university and other education settings were discussed at the seminar. Female students in Karachi University total 90%, in Punjab University 70%, while in BZ University 52% students are female. This is really an alarming situation for males in Pakistan.   Yousaf cautions that we should avoid the “EACH GENDER FOR ITSELF” approach and instead promote better gender relationships. He proposes that we should celebrate both Men’s Day and Women’s Day and asks everyone to join hands with Rights and Rights International for the elimination of Gender Based Discrimination. Listen Now (MP3) [For Yousaf Jamal interview go to last 1/4 of this download]

International Men's Day -  2009

To our knowledge International Men's Day has not yet been celebrated in Pakistan. But according to the following DAWN media article the call has certainly gone out to the Pakistani people. If events have taken place or if you are planning an IMD observation this year in Pakistan please notify us and we will record details of your observation on this page.

Celebrating International Women’s Day has become a worldwide phenomenon of late — even in Pakistan. Surprisingly, although Pakistan is known to be a male chauvinistic nation, there is no mention of International Men’s Day — ever. And guess what — there is actually one! It is celebrated on November 19, and began in 1999, 90 years after International Women’s Day was conceived.

If you’re a woman — you’re probably thinking — why on earth does the world need a day to celebrate men — given the fact that in most cases, whether at home or work, men are supposedly treated like gods wherever they go.

But really, in these so-called modern times of gender equality, don’t the poor men need a bit of celebration now and then?

After all, it is us men, to rephrase, who bring home the ‘mutton’? We slave at our jobs day — and night — provide for the family, run many of the errands, brave the traffic, the pollution, and the never ending riots that seem to plague the country.

And for those who are married, the men give their wives the ultimate prized gift of motherhood; allowing them to stay home, loll around, pay for their maid servants’ salaries who do their every bidding, supply their wives with pricey purses, shoes and clothes, not to mention their children’s school fees. And despite it all, they are taken for granted.

 

Think about it. When was the last time you heard someone praising a man for earning a living? Or driving his kids to school? That’s supposed to be a man’s job. Just like women are ‘supposed’ to be housewives (or homemakers, to be politically correct) and they want to be thanked for that — and rightfully so. So then, by logic, shouldn’t men be appreciated and even celebrated on a day other than Father’s Day? (Which means, if you’re not a father, you ain’t worth being celebrated?)

Yes, women still have it tough in Pakistan and the rest of the world — I have to say that in order to prevent facing the wrath of all the women in my life — but surely men need a bit of celebrating now and then, don’t you think? We’re also human, remember!

And if the whole point of International Women’s Day is to promote gender equality, surely it is time that men got their due.

So, when November 19 arrives this year, can we hope to see the same amount of media coverage as we see today? Will we see men being given gifts to celebrate their many facets? Something tells me they won’t. Or maybe they will. But I don’t think I’ll be holding my breath.
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