International Men’s Day is an international holiday, celebrated on the first Saturday of November. It was suggested by Mikhail Gorbachev and was supported by the United Nations in Vienna, and other organisations[1]. The tradition began in 1999, probably by analogy to International Women’s Day.

Recognition and support of the day is limited; in Malta it is celebrated on February 7, in Trinidad and Tobago on November 19, in Brazil on July 15, in Ukraine on February 23, in India on November 19 and in Oltenia (region of Romania) on March 9. In Norway it’s celebrated on October 7, and on November 25 in Canada. In Sweden it’s not celebrated at all.

Also, Russia and Kyrgyzstan celebrate Defender of the Fatherland Day on February 23, which in recent times has essentially become these countries’ version of International Men’s Day. In Colombia, it has accepted 23th March, after Saint Joseph’s day.

Plans are afoot to recognise International Men’s Day in United Kingdom and Ireland on April 5.

Indian Men’s rights organisation Save Indian Family has started an International campaign to build consensus on IMD on November 19th. As a first step, it has accepted 19th November to be celebrated in Pakistan as Men’s Day. With this at least 20% of world’s population accepts 19th November as International Men’s Day.

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