Nov 19 - Gibraltar Marks International Men’s Day
International Men’s Day has been commemorated worldwide today.
The Ministry of Equality says it is again keen to mark this day in order to raise awareness of key issues affecting boys and men. To this end, the Ministry of Equality has collaborated with other Government Departments having this year chosen to focus as a priority theme on men’s health and men's mental health and have organized various initiatives.
There are a number of key issues which affect men. Two of the issues frequently raised are prostate cancer and suicide. The Ministry of Equality has this year, once again, worked with the Department of Education in order to raise awareness in relation to issues, which affect men and boys in secondary institutions. Westside School marked the day on Friday with a number of awareness-raising and fund-raising initiatives and Bayside has raised the issue in PSHE lessons.
Further, together with the Ministry of Public Health and the GHA’s Mental Health Services, the Ministry of Equality was joined by local charities Gibraltar Samaritans and Prostate Cancer Support Group Gibraltar at an awareness stall outside the main entrance of the International Commercial Centre (ICC) today at 1.00pm. Promotional and reading materials relating to suicide prevention and prostate cancer were available and representatives from both charities were at hand to promote their services and to address questions by the public.
Representatives from the Mental Health Services were present at the stall in order to provide information on their outreach support team, which offers a range of services, including a nursing after hours on-call service. The Government has recently increased the number of consultants available which has led to the launch of new emergency clinics.
Minister Sacramento said: “Celebrating International Men’s Day is very important in order to raise awareness of key issues which affect both men and boys and I am pleased to see the various Government department working together with each other as well as the voluntary sector. The main message that we want to convey is for men not to remain quiet about issues which affect them and for them to talk about these in order to obtain help when necessary.”
Minister for Education and Public Health, John Cortes, stated, “In these days of Equality, men are still often stubbornly different in acknowledging the need to check on our health. We can never do enough to improve awareness of all health issues, including mental health, and to encourage everyone to be aware of first signs and to take advantage of opportunities for screening. We want a healthy community and this type of collaborative initiative is vital.”
Minister for Health, Care and Justice, Neil F. Costa, said, “It bears repeating that men are more reluctant than women to seek assistance, whether medical or otherwise and to open up about their feelings. Given that no amount of awareness of the GHA’s services is ever enough, I wish to thank my colleague, the Minister for Equality, Samantha Sacramento MP, and her team, for raising awareness on such important medical concerns that affect men.”
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