Themed around focusing on the overall well-being of men, this year’s International Men’s Day is all about bidding adieu to the toxic masculinity and embracing human nature.
Since childhood boys go through the hidden and subtle stereotypes like ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, ‘Men Will Be Men’ and more which momentarily looked like golden words to society but affected each and every individual adversely. The stereotyping and fake presentation of masculinity caused the sidelining of the entire gender where men are seen as robots; devoid of emotions, picking up fights every then and now, rowdy, faraway from grooming and styling and covering up each and every deed with ‘Men Will Be Men’.
So this International Men’s Day, let’s try to encourage positive masculinity, the need of the hour, and try discussing the thing that should be normalised:
1. Mental Health:
As important as addressing the mental health has become so is normalising the fact that men also seek counselling and suffer from mental issues. Brain is a part of our body which also needs care and does fall sick like our other body parts. And it happens irrespective of gender. It’s high time that we start getting rid of the notion that men don’t go through mental breakdowns and are godly characters free from worldly issues. And this kind of stereotyping only increases the risk of their breakdowns because of a false pressure to stay true to so called masculinity.
2. Inclination Toward Styling And Grooming:
Styling, grooming, indulging in self care, skincare and more are things that every human kind likes irrespective of their gender. After all, who doesn’t want to look good! But even in 2020 when a guy spends his time in self care, society questions him, calling him ‘girly’. According to the recent market trends, there’s been an upsurge in men’s grooming products and the men’s styling industry has grown manifold. And there’s nothing wrong in it. Caring for oneself is our innate nature and good skin, hair, makeup and attire shouldn’t have any gender norms attached with it.
3.Platonic Love:
Platonic love exists! And now is the right time that we start scraping down the notion that two men hugging out are sexually interested in each other or a guy hanging out with a bunch of girls is feminine. Love is multifaceted and does not always end up in sex. Men too have deep emotional sides and they too need friends around them. They also cherish the emotional bonds and like to express themselves.
