Many issues facing men are forgotten because of political correctness and differing treatment of the sexes can damage men, an MP has warned.
Shipley MP Philip Davies does not believe there is an issue between men and women and there should not be a need for separate Women and Men’s Day.
Opening a debate he secured in Parliament ahead of International Men’s Day on Saturday, Mr Davies said “When you think about it, in so many ways, considering men and women separately – as if they live in complete isolation to each other – is actually ridiculous. Neither group is isolated. Both sexes have mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, uncles and aunts, grandmothers and grandfathers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends so for every woman there are related male parties and therefore a vested interest in men’s issues. It is an unavoidable fact.”
The theme of International Men’s Day is “Making a Difference for Men and Boys” and will focus heavily on male suicide. According to the Office of National Statistics 134,554 men have committed suicide in the last 30 years and in 2014, 75 per cent of suicides were male.
Mr Davies also highlighted the rates of domestic violence in men. The British Crime Survey reported in one year 1.3 million women reporting being victim to some form of domestic violence and 600,000 men. It is believed the male number is significantly higher with many not wanting to report their suffering.
Mr Davies said: “In other words, for every three victims of domestic abuse, two will be female, one will be male. Yet despite this two-thirds/one-third split when it comes to victims, there is no such funding split. I would urge anyone listening to this or reading this speech after the event who is either experiencing domestic violence or abuse, or is worried about a man who is, to call the Mankind Initiative to get confidential help.
“One in five forced marriages are also of men, no one would think that. We must help these men.”
Homelessness among men, the struggle facing fathers and access to their children, along with Parliament’s institutional political correctness were also addressed by Mr Davies
He told the Commons last month Prime Minister Theresa May wrote to him welcoming his commitment to raising issues facing men.