Kingston, 16 November 2020 (JIS) - A number of activities are being organised in observance of International Men’s Day (IMD) on Thursday, November 19 under the theme ‘A Man’s Health is a Man’s Wealth’.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Denzil Thorpe, said that a forum and presentation of Outstanding Father Award will be held at the The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m,

He was speaking at the IMD Church Service held on Sunday (November 15) at the Constant Spring Road Church of God, St. Andrew.

The event, organised by the Bureau of Gender Affairs (BGA), will include presentations on prostate cancer awareness, mental health and wellness, healthy sexual lifestyle practices, and updates on the Young Fathers Jamaica Initiative and the #mentorme2020 Male Mentorship Programme.

The Outstanding Father Award will honour men who are exemplary in their roles as fathers, mentors and role models.

The IMD event will also include the soft launch of the Exemplary Male Role Models 2021 Calendar. This is an initiative by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) in collaboration with the BGA.

At 7:30 p.m. that evening, the State Minister in the Ministry, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, will host a rap session via Instagram and Facebook platforms to speak on a range of topics, including men’s health and other psychosocial issues.

Mr. Thorpe said that the objective of the activities is to raise awareness about men’s health and physical well-being and to recognise their contribution as positive role models to the social, cultural and economic development of the Jamaican society.

The IMD celebration will be preceded by the reading of an IMD statement in Parliament on Tuesday (November 17) and the pinning of the symbolic white ribbons on Members of Parliament and Senators.

Mr. Thorpe said the BGA is committed to “supporting our men and boys here in Jamaica as well as those in the diaspora”.

“Through the special service desk for men, the BGA has hosted workshops, seminars and counselling sessions to promote positive images of men and boys, while addressing different aspects of manhood and fatherhood,” he added.
He said the sessions have helped to foster greater parenting skills and provided men with skills to play a more active role in the lives of their children and families.

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Kingston, 18 November 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced the start of a new programme to assist adolescent fathers to live up to their responsibilities.

Minister Grange made the announcement in her message to mark International Men’s Day, being observed on Tuesday, 19 November 2019.

The new programme — to be implemented by the Women’s Centre Foundation of Jamaica, which runs the Programme for Adolescent Mothers — is called the Young Fathers Jamaica Initiative.

Minister Grange said the new initiative is designed to “assist adolescent fathers to become outstanding dads.”

Minister Grange also announced the start of the #MentorMe2020 programme which will target at-risk young men.

According to Minister Grange, #MentorMe2020 — to be led by the Bureau of Gender Affairs — will see “outstanding men helping high school boys to become outstanding and balanced men of the future.”

International Men’s Day is being observed under the theme “Building Strong Men through Health and Wellness: Balance di ting”.

The Gender Minister said her Ministry will be leading targeted interventions across the country to address some of the Health and Wellness issues that men face everyday. She urged Jamaican men to strive to achieve the right balance in every area of their lives:

“Everyday men across Jamaica make tremendous sacrifices for their families, our communities and our nation. Today, we acknowledge all that you do for us and express our gratitude.

But we know that in your quest to ensure that the rest of us are okay, you oftentimes don’t pay enough attention to your own wellbeing; and that is why for this year’s celebration we focus on Building Strong Men through Health and Wellness to Balance di Ting.”

Among the activities to mark International Men’s Day is a conference focussing on mental health and wellness at the Jamaica Conference Centre beginning at 9:00am.

Minister Grange has urged all Jamaicans to celebrate the men in their lives.

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19 November 2019

Today, I send you warm greetings on International Men’s Day. This is a great opportunity to recognise the outstanding value that you bring to our lives.

Everyday men across Jamaica make tremendous sacrifices for their families, our communities and our nation. Today, we acknowledge all that you do for us and express our gratitude.

But we know that in your quest to ensure that the rest of us are okay, you oftentimes don’t pay enough attention to your own wellbeing; and that is why for this year’s celebration we focus on Building Strong Men through Health and Wellness to Balance di Ting.

We demonstrate real strength when we balance every area of our lives, but getting the balance right is a sensitive matter that sometimes requires some assistance.

Today, we will be launching targeted interventions to address some of the Health and Wellness issues that, as men, you face everyday.

Additionally, I am pleased to announce the start of two new initiatives: the Mentor Me 2020 which will see outstanding men helping high school boys to become outstanding and balanced men of the future; and the Young Fathers Jamaica Initiative which will assist adolescent fathers to become outstanding dads.

I know that sometimes men’s issues do not get the requisite focus, but our celebration of International Men’s Day gives us an opportunity to change that.

Today, we celebrate men from every walk of life and I ask that you wish each man in your life a Happy International Men’s Day.

Olivia Grange, CD, MP
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport

Kingston, 19 November 2018 (JIS): The Government is facilitating discussions on the introduction of a Paternity Leave Act, to encourage shared parenting, support and mentoring.

Speaking at the International Men’s Day forum on November 19 at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Denzil Thorpe, said the Act is in line with the recommendations of the National Policy for Gender Equality (NPGE).

Paternity leave is defined as a job-protected period of leave for employed men, with income support provided in some cases. Paternity leave is a short period of leave for the father to take immediately following childbirth to help care for the child and assist the mother.

 “In response to the discussions regarding the passing of a Paternity Leave Act or a Parental Leave Act to accommodate paternity leave, there will be consultations on the relevance of paternity leave to the Jamaican society and the parameters of the Paternity Leave Act,” he said.

“This is of major significance as the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport seeks to introduce paternity leave as a benefit to men as fathers as part and parcel of the Jamaican workforce. It is well established that for gender to be truly transformative, it has to be inclusive,” Mr. Thorpe said.

The NPGE outlines Jamaica’s commitment towards gender equality and to providing an enabling environment for achieving the goals of fairness and socio-economic justice for women and men.  

 Meanwhile, Director for the Institute of Gender and Development Studies, Professor Opal Palmer Adisa, endorsed the Paternity Leave Act.

“It is an amazing thing to see how it grows a man to grow his child and to be involved in every aspect of his child’s development.  Paternity leave is extremely important because we want to shift the paradigm that says it is the mother’s job. It is both parents’ job,” she said.

Participant at the event, Davian Williams, said the celebration of men is important, as positive male influence is important in the society. 

“A lot of times, male role models are not put forward, while females are reinforced. I think male role models play an important role in society, and this will help to change the norm of society and inspire men to want to be good role models and good examples for youth. It feels good to know that men on a whole are being praised for doing positive things,” he said.

Meanwhile, father of five, Lindon Baldwin, said men should get paternity leave because they play an important role in the development of their children.

“They should be with the mother and the child during the early stages of life to give support and for the bonding and nurturing, so that children can develop to be well-adjusted adults in society,” he said.

International Men’s Day is celebrated globally on November 19. This year, it is being observed under the international theme ‘Positive Male Role Models’. It focuses on men’s and boys’ health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role models.

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