{"id":1259,"date":"2024-11-18T10:57:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-18T10:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biworldwide.com\/uk\/?p=1259"},"modified":"2025-12-02T09:54:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T09:54:30","slug":"international-mens-day-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biworldwide.com\/uk\/our-work\/blog\/international-mens-day-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking the silence: The importance of International Men’s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\tBreaking the silence: The importance of International Men’s Day\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\tNov 18, 2024\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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As a company committed to inclusion, wellbeing, and belonging, learn more about why we celebrate International Men’s Day.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMan up!\u201d, \u201cDon\u2019t wear pink!\u201d, \u201cMen don\u2019t cry!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many times have you heard or seen those expressions, whether it\u2019s chatting to someone, watching television or browsing online?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a dated expectation that \u2018men should be men\u2019 and act a certain way, it\u2019s not surprising that 1 in 5 UK men don\u2019t make it to 65<\/strong>. Alarming, yes. Surprising, no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s an attitude that sees men of all ages suffer in silence, whether that\u2019s concerning their mental health or physical wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why BI WORLDWIDE is celebrating International Men’s Day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Occasions such as International Men\u2019s Day (IMD) – taking place on 19th<\/sup> November – are intended to break that silence, not only giving men a voice to speak with but an ear to talk to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But why are we even celebrating IMD in what\u2019s already considered a male-dominated world? Because, despite all the advantages being male still offers, the reality is that men are struggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IMD is a chance to highlight the serious issues that men and boys face in modern society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, why boys consistently perform worse than girls academically – by 2019, boys had achieved worse exam results than girls for 30 years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or why prisons are full of men – 96% of the prison population<\/strong>, in fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or why at least 82% of rough sleepers in England in Autumm 2023 were men<\/strong> \u2013 that\u2019s 3,214!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IMD aims to break down the barriers men face, to improve mental and physical wellbeing, and to encourage positive male role models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mental wellbeing \u2013 checking with friends<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that 14 men die every day by suicide in the UK? Or that it\u2019s the most common cause of death for men under 50.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scary, isn\u2019t it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way that IMD aims to reduce those numbers is by promoting togetherness, whether that\u2019s catching up with friends you haven\u2019t seen in a while or making time for future friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s taking the time to chat, to check in with each other, and to find out how things are going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe weather\u2019s rubbish, isn\u2019t it?!\u201d, \u201cWhat are you watching on TV?\u201d, \u201cHow\u2019s the new house?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chat doesn\u2019t have to be profound to be meaningful. Just the act of talking is beneficial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, having a reassuring connection with a friend, especially on a regular basis, can offer a platform and a confidence to open up; a chance to say things aren\u2019t going so well.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Wednesday Waffle, for example. It\u2019s a simple premise. But a powerful one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Zachary Perez<\/a><\/strong> revealed on TikTok that his group of friends have been sharing short life update videos with each other every week on a, you\u2019ve guessed it, Wednesday, the clip went viral. And the waffle? No, not a reference to the dessert but to the slang term for talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not only has the clip been viewed over a million times, but it\u2019s also been praised for encouraging consistent connections between friends, something that many men often need but never do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physical wellbeing \u2013 checking yourself<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s scary to think that around 12,000 men die from prostate cancer every year. That\u2019s one every 45 minutes. <\/strong>In the UK, about 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer <\/strong>in their lifetime.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a disease that\u2019s been in the news a lot recently with Sir Chris Hoy revealing he has terminal prostate cancer, despite having shown no obvious symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But having displayed significant strength during his time in the saddle, Sir Chris has surpassed even that by sharing his story and inspiring many men to get themselves checked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following his announcement, NHS England reported a massive 672% increase in visits to their prostate cancer symptoms website. Proof that talking helps!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris Hoy has proved an inspiration both on the track and off it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspirational male role models <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of inspirational, an objective of IMD is to promote positive male role models who act as an example to boys and men to help reduce toxic masculinity and promote a safer, better society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As outlined above, Chris Hoy is clearly inspirational. That\u2019s reflected in the extraordinary response to his announcement. But what about inspirational figures in everyday life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For all the obvious qualities and positive influence that sportspeople and actors have, just how relatable are they to the everyday man on the street?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s just as important to have working-class men to look-up to who live decent, honest lives, and who help guide the narrative on a daily basis and steer it from the traditional and toxic mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IMD celebrates male diversity and is an opportunity to promote alternative, kinder, more liberated versions of masculinity that can act as genuine role models for boys to aspire to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Men’s Day and BI WORLDWIDE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But who inspires our own Associates? As part of our IMD celebrations this year, we spoke to several of our Associates from around the business to find out what the occasion means to them, who their own male role models are, and why they inspire them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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