An international group is sounding the alarm about the inequalities experienced by men and boys across the world. The International Council for Men and Boys (ICMB) declared November, Men’s Equality Month, to raise awareness about the current male crisis. Larry DeMarco, Executive Manager for ICMB, acknowledged there is “inequality on both sides,” and they want to “protect the vulnerable in both genders.” 

The group’s goal is to “change the narrative” in what they consider a “winnable fight to get back to neutral.” ICMB has compiled a list of twelve significant issues impacting boys and men.

“Issues such as educational disparities, mental health crises, workplace fatalities, and biases in the criminal justice system profoundly affect the quality of life and opportunities available to men. Men’s Equality Month aims to shed light on these issues and foster a more balanced and equitable society for everyone.”

The group’s focus on educational disparities highlights that boys generally underperform girls in school and have higher illiteracy rates as adults. This assertion is consistent with data recently released by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Based on the 2024 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) results, there are more female students proficient in English Language Arts than male students. Some 57.6 percent of girls were proficient, compared to 48.6 percent of boys. In areas like math and science, where boys previously outperformed girls, the numbers are very close. Boys are slightly more proficient than girls in math and slightly less proficient in science.

This is the first year the Pennsylvania Department of Education provided a detailed breakdown of the test scores by gender. Perhaps they are concerned about the disparities, as well, although a request for comment about the reason for adding the detail was not returned.

ICMB also highlights the inequalities in the justice system. “Men receive harsher treatment at every step of the criminal-legal process.” In the Pennsylvania juvenile court system, the data also supports this statement. The 2023 Juvenile Court Annual Report shows, “juvenile delinquency allegations in Pennsylvania primarily involve males. In 2023, almost three in four (73.3 percent) delinquency allegations submitted to juvenile probation departments involved males, while a little over one in four (26.6 percent) involved females.”

In 1999, November 19 was declared International Men’s Day in Trinidad and Tobago and has since expanded to countries all over the world with the support of Dads4Kids Fatherhood Foundation. This group believes that “manhood is the foundation for fatherhood. Good men make good fathers. Children and families are the benefactors.”

The early champions for the initiative said the “day is not intended to compete against International Woman’s Day, but is for the purpose of highlighting men’s experiences.” Larry DeMarco, Executive Manager for ICMB said in an interview with Broad + Liberty that Men’s Equality Month is analogous to Women’s History Month (March), similar to celebrating Mother’s and Father’s Days.

ICMB held a press conference on November 19, 2024, to commemorate International Men’s Day and Men’s Equality Month. Speakers addressed issues related to men’s involvement during pregnancy, justice system delays, domestic restraining orders, and criminal equity. The goal of the press conference was to raise awareness of the issues facing men and boys to help change the narrative. 

Another of their twelve concerns is the way the media, sitcoms, and movies portray men in a stereotypical and negative fashion. While the bumbling, inept Homer Simpson is funny, he does not represent husbands and fathers fairly. The quintessential male role on TV and the movies typically portrays them as incompetent and inferior to the female counterpart. DeMarco said, “men have been vilified by media bias.”

According to their website, ICMB cites twelve areas where men and boys are struggling at greater rates than their female counterparts. 

1. Education — Boys underperform in education, and face higher illiteracy rates in almost all countries surveyed.
2. Health — Men live five years shorter;  triple the suicide rates of women.
3. The Boy Crisis —  Male children around the world are faced with child labor and hazardous work, child soldiers, extortion, and undernutrition.
4. False Allegations — False allegations against men and boys harm both the innocent accused and real victims.
5. Victims of Violence — Men, especially boys, face higher homicide and wartime death rates.
6. Equal Shared Parenting — Men face court biases, harsher treatment, and undue child support burdens.
7. Criminal System — Men receive harsher treatment at every step of the criminal-legal process.
8. Partner Abuse — Men face equal domestic violence, more online harassment, but there are fewer services.
9. Homelessness — 76 percent of homeless persons are men.
10. Workplace — Men face 15 times the workplace deaths, nearly double the injuries of women.
11. Reproduction and Adoptive Rights — Women have choices whether to deliver the baby, abort it, or give the baby up for adoption. Men have no choices.
12. Media Portrayals — Men are portrayed unfavorable 69 percent of the time, 12 percent favorable, and 19 percent neutral or balanced.

ICMB is a project of the Center for Prosecutor Integrity, and they are focused on challenging stereotypes and providing insights to foster healthier dynamics for men worldwide. They are committed to overcoming the negativity around “toxic masculinity” and its effects on men’s relationships, mental health, and cycles of abuse. By raising awareness of the challenges facing boys and men across the world, ICMB hopes to improve and celebrate the family as a healthy and positive societal norm.

Beth Ann Rosica resides in West Chester, has a Ph.D. in Education, and has dedicated her career to advocating on behalf of at-risk children and families. She covers education issues for Broad + Liberty. Contact her at barosica@broadandliberty.com.