MENZ Issues: news and discussion about New Zealand men, fathers, family law, divorce, courts, protests, gender politics, and male health.

Researchers have given fresh weight to the complaint of many single women – there aren’t enough men.

Kiwi men in their relationship-forming years have disappeared in their thousands, says social scientist Dr Paul Callister.

The result is that men are increasingly outnumbered.

Since 1991, the census has shown a widening gap between the number of women and men aged between 20 and 49, reversing a long history of men having the numerical advantage.

In 1986 there were 700 more men than women in that age group, but by 1991 women had started pulling ahead.

By 2001, the census counted 53,000 more women than men aged 20-49, or just under 7 per cent more women. About 1.5 million Kiwis are in this age group.

Callister and Professor Richard Bedford of Waikato University are to probe migration and census data in countries such as Australia to find out what has happened to the Kiwi men.

A current affairs programme is doing a story which uses as its hook the New Plymouth case where a father was found guilty of assaulting his son, after he allegedly smacked him twice on the bottom. This opens up the wider debate as to whether smacking is the appropriate way to discipline children, and whether section 59 should be repealed.

I’m looking for people who strongly feel that smacking is appropriate as a means of discipline and that the law should not be repealed. I’d particularly like to talk to academics and psychologists with an interest in this area, but also church leaders and families.

I need to speak to people preferably no later than the end of this week, although I will continue to field calls and enquires thereafter.

Anyone interested in talking to me by phone initially, can call me on 09 916 6899 or 021 412 022. I will call them right back so that no phonecosts are incurred.

Many thanks John, I appreciate this. Miriama