The Rights Of Man

INTERNATIONAL MEN'S DAY GAINS MOMENTUM IN THE UK

Today, is a great day. It is of course International Men's Day - celebrating men and boys and campaigning to help men live longer, healthier and happier lives - and tackling discrimination is a key part of this.

Every November,  there are  a number of events that not only celebrate the contribution that men and boys make to society but also raise areas where they face disadvantage. This includes Movember,
the national men and boys conference and also International Men’s Day on Monday. Momentum for these events continues to grow with the latter being celebrated and highlighted by groups of women and men across the UK.

As the article by Glen Poole (UK co-ordinator) on the IMD UK website shows not only is there now a UK steering committee, there are organisations up and down the UK now using this weekend or today to support men and boys across the UK. Two years there was a few students, now 14 organisations are behind it.

The ambition has to be treble that next year and if a company can get behind it (like Gillette  and HP sauce amongst others have do so brilliantly with Movember) then it will go places.

And a key part is not just celebrating men and boys but breaking down the barriers they face. The committee have published a press release  (Download)  highlighting the top ten issues that men and boys face in the UK. The top three are not surprisingly male suicide, equality for fathers and mothers and ending violence against men and boys.

It will be interesting by the end of today whether the mainstream media has covered International Men's Day at all - or are they still ignoring this landmark, unlike International Women's Day which garners acres of coverage.

Let's all celebrate today!

Posted by Skimmington

NEWS UPDATE - THE CRACKS ARE STARTING TO SHOW

There has been a substantial amount of coverage on men's issues this past ten days and below is a summary of the main articles. The cracks are just starting to show in the war against men.

Employment and boardrooms

Mike Buchanan - Angela Epstein receives a Maggie and the coverage on Sunday Morning Live. Mike and friends have launched the Winston, Maggie and Harpy awards.

Parliament (Women and 'Equalities questions) - Debate on women on boards and Philip Davies MP stands up for equality and meritocracy.

Third Sector - FTSE boards view female third sector executives as toxic (Jenna Pudelek) More scaremongering without any factual foundation.

TUC - Black boys have experienced sharpest rise in unemployment during recession: The TUC proves itself wrong. 

Daily Telegraph - Female quotas 'negatively affect' business, says minister (Rowena Mason)

Daily Telegraph - Equalities Minsiter says women need to challenge themselves and play a wider role in society (Rowena Mason): What is significant here is that this and the above article show that some women are now challenging the myths and hypocrisy of quotas which we know are solely being advocated as a discriminatory measure against men, meritocracy and equality.

Daily Telegraph - Companies to be forced to publish gender audits of employees (Louisa Peacock): does this count for the public sector which is dominated by women? The comment in the Telegraph comments section sums it up:

"Yet more discrimination against my white English husband who supports his family and has never been unemployed in his life"

Feminism

Netmums - What does feminism mean to the modern women: The research showed that only 17% of women described themselves as feminists (though more young women did which shows their radicalisation), that modern-day feminism did not represent them and that 28% felt it was too aggressive with 17% thinking it was anti-male. This landmark research has had the feminists blogs apoplectic as it damages their whole reason to be. Coverage in The Express, Telegraph and Daily Mail

Politics

Guido Fawkes - Quota of the Day

The Times - We do not need a Minister for Women (Ruth Porter): Subscription only

Family Law

Daily Mail - Why I stole my children (Ian Gallagher)

Daily Telegraph - Female breadwinners losing out (John Bingham): Staggering hypocrisy of the "want their cake and eat it kind". Pannone can be added to the list of anti-male organisations in the UK.

Prisons

Parliament - Download Prison Sentence Inequality - UK Parliament 16 Oct 2012 (2) (Philip Davies MP) : Again the MP excels himself by bringing into Parliament the myth that sentencing is far harsher for women than men. The Men's Network summarises the story. Thanks you to James Williams for circulating far and wide.

False Accusations

Teeside Gazette - Middlesbrough man hounded after being cleared of rape

Health

BBC - Prostate cancer barcode tests: Unless there is 'compulsory' organised screening for prostate cancer on a national basis like there is for breast and cervical cancer then there can be as many tests as you like but until that is in place things will not progress as they should.

Hanna Rosin book - The End of Men

Daily Mail - Is the male of the species now redundant (Bev Mooney)

Daily Telegraph - Interview

The Guardian - Cardboard men (John Harris)

The Guardian - It's not the end of men (Ally Fogg)

The portayal of men

Daily Telegraph - The descent of men (William Leith)

Education

Daily Telegraph - Young boys stuggling to write their name (Graeme Paton)

Domestic Violence

One in Three Report - Gaps in services revealed

General

Daily Mail - Why men love bossy women (Cosmo Landesman)

Daily Telegraph - BBC to draw up top 100 female power list: More Opus Dei-like self-flaggelation from the Beeb.

 Posted by Skimmimgton

 

Thanks to those that send links over

MEN'S HOUR IS BACK

Men's Hour is back on Radio 5 - worth listening because while it generally is a magazine it does  discuss serious issues and need our support.

MEN'S HOUR IS BACK

Men's Hour is back on Radio 5 - worth listening because while it generally is a magazine it does  discuss serious issues and need our support.

WILL MALE CIRCUMCISION IN BRITAIN NOW BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY?

The Sunday Times reported today (link via Sunday Telegraph, Sky video and Daily Mail) that as many as 100,000 have had their genitals mutilated. Very sad and unacceptable. But there still continues to be a conspiracy of silence on the issue of male circumcision.

This case raises the issue and Peter Baker of the Men's Health Forum has called for a public debate which will be further aided by the conference on the subject being run by Glen Poole of the Men's Network. The excellent NORM-UK has been leading the way and this site commented on it nearly a year ago.

The issue though for men continues to be ignored by the media, government and other 'equality' campaigners.

Ending female genital mutilation has been a focus for the government certainly under its Ending Violence Against Women and Children strategy (the strategy that treats men as second class victims in everything). But where is the focus or even mention of men and boys who have suffered in this way. Nothing. In many parts of the world this mutilation of boys is normal (see end*)

Does the Sunday Times article or the other coverage today and no doubt tomorrow as the story will now continue througout the week mention men and boys. When with the mutilation if men and boys get a mention as part of this story.

The work undertaken by Norm-UK, The Men's Network and the Men's Health Forum will certainly now start to put it on the agenda and well played to those groups for doing so. The fact that men's groups are now coming together and argue sensibly for change and running conferences themselves shows the strength and confidence that the men and women in these groups now have as they get a grip by  sensible and rational protest issue raising.

What we hope to see is an equivalent story about the number of men and boys mutilated in this way at some time soon. We then will know that equality is starting to take root.

Posted by Skimmington

 * Watching Celebrity Big Brother (long story - don't ask) the American Twins said it was normal that all men in America were circumcised! 

EQUALITY IN THE UK 2012 - A SPECIAL ADVISER FOR WOMEN BUT NO SPECIAL ADVISER FOR MEN

Earlier this month Laura Trott was announced as being David Cameron's special adviser on women  - to make him more women-friendly and see all policies through the prism of a woman. It is no surprise that Ms Trott is part of the Hampstead metropolitan elite.

Considering that the Conservative Party and its coalition party already have a Minister for Women (Theresa May), a slavishly anti-male Equalities Minister (Lynne Featherstone), a Government Equalities Department  who do not believe men exist ("We lead on issues relating to women, sexual orientation and transgender equality matters; we have responsibility across government for equality strategy and legislation") and an Equalities and Human Rights Department who remain philosophically wedded to everything pro-women and anti-male, you do wonder what more does he need.

And to be honest, having such an appointment continues the anti-male special treatment for women schtick running through the present government (Blue Feminism!) - all run by metropolitan elite upper middle class women who only want more special treatment to give them and their daughters even more of a leg up. It is not aimed at the average women, who not only wants to make a success of her and her daughters life but also wants to see their husband, brothers and sons succeed as well.

What makes it worse is that it is so gratuitously offensive to those women and also to men, because the government not refuses to have a Minister for Men and also to support men and boys on the inequalities they face but that is refuses to actually even want to engage on men's issues.

SPEThe issue pointed clearly out by the letter that was signed by nearly 100 organisations supporting men and boys across a wide spectrum shows how trivial the government sees men and boys. They do nothing on the savage problems in educational attainment for boys, the unemployment rate especially amongst young and older men, the problems associated with depression, suicide, domestic abuse and of course men's health amongst other things. The only area of progress is shared parenting.

If government truly believed in equality, if it really has to have a special adviser on women's issues it would have the same on men's issues. But of course, we know this government does not believe in equality.

Posted by Skimmington

I couldn't bring myself to listen to it but others might  - you have been warned ;@)

PARISH NEWS - MEN'S NETWORK ON BBC RADIO 4 SHOW ABOUT MEN'S ISSUES

The Men's Network has reported that BBC Radio 4 are broadcasting a show on Saturday (07 Janaury at 11am) about the political importance of men’s issues. They are featured on it which is great news.

Posted by Skimmington

INTERNATIONAL MEN'S DAY LETTER - MEDIA NOT INTERESTED

I hope men and women are all enjoying International Men's Day (went out for lunch with my father) today.

Earlier this week this site reported that the Men's Network who are the UK coordinators for International Men's Day had put together a letterfor the Equalities Minister (Lynne Featherstone) which was eventually signed by 80 organisations and a press release sent.

Going through the 280 comments on a thoughtful article  in the Guardian's Comment is Free section by Ally Fogg (plus Glen Poole's contributions throughout), MarkBrooks70 reveals that no one has been interested in the letter or the press release:

"Not one journalist has called and it has been sent to a number (including the Guardian) today. Hopefully there will be something in the papers tomorrow."

So what media coverage has there been given to the letter. Well, none. The above does not count as it is an article and didn't over the letter (Mr Fogg will not have known about it) and while Cllr Peter Davies in Wales makes a great point and Preston FM has a whole day, the media's silence is deafening.

For International Women's Day in March there were endless articles and the Guardian even banned men from its Comment is Free section but this is not reciprocated by the media.

The fact that 80 charities supporting male issues and run by women and men were actually prepared to put their names to such a balanced and well written letter is a news story - yet why are the media not interested. Such is their hypocrisy and double standards, if "Women's charities" had written the letter about women's issues it would have been on the front page and all over the BBC's news bulletins. The Fawcett Society get a nice feature about their march in The Guardian

As can be seen by the number of events and days in the UK celebrating today (including a number of colleges again), there is starting to be a lot of momentum about today. It is a great pity that the media are not interested but shows the barriers that need to be broken down.

Once again, enjoy today.

Posted by Skimmington