Top Boys and Men's Stories of 2021

by Mark Sutton

Sunday, January 9, 2022

2021 will be a year that may be best remembered for the continuation of the COVID pandemic, the first operational private flight in space by Space X, and the boom of cryptocurrencies and NFTs. In addition, we saw a lot of interesting developments and stories in the realm of male advocacy. These ranged from positive stories of male-supportive movements, to discouraging anti-male sentiment and policies.


At GIBM, we launched the Boys and Mens’ Well-Being Index (BAM Index), and the GIBM Boys and Mens’ Calendar. The BAM Index features data on the well-being of boys and men, and showcases data from our state reports for California, Colorado, other states and national data. The Calendar, which is importable and embeddable into your personal calendar, features notable designated days, weeks, and months dedicated to boys and men, such as International Men’s Day on Nov. 19 and important events. The BAM Index and the Calendar are free resources created by GIBM for the public benefit.


GIBM also included top news stories on boys and men’s issues for 2021, organized according to GIBM’s 6 Pillars of Male Well-Being.

Education


Fatherhood, Families, and Relationships


Jobs, Careers, and Financial Health


Male Narrative in the Public Discourse


  • President Biden created a “Gender Policy Council” that only supports female issues. The stated purpose of the organization and subsequent action is to help women and girls only. Dr. Warren Farrell, who chairs the Coalition for a White House Council on Boys and Men, spoke about the Gender Policy Council's in many national interviews, including this one.

  • Gender neutral selective service in the U.S. was in the spotlight. The Supreme court declined to hear a lawsuit on the issue, citing pending legislation in Congress; early drafts of the legislation included adding women, but were ultimately pulled. The National Coalition for Men (NCFM) has a great year-end write-up of the case, which included its teaming up with the ACLU.

  • A Forbes article suggested more observance of International Men’s Day back in 2019, but there is still little adoption. Google did not showcase a doodle for it as they do for International Women’s Day, and the UN merely retweeted an offensive tweet that it had sent out the year before. It seems that despite increased nonprofit support, very few, if any, jurisdictions recognize International Men’s Day, which is celebrated annually on November 19.

  • California is spending $12 Million over 2 years (2020-2022) for Commission on the Status of Women Girls, with nothing commensurate for men and boys. This disparity persists despite the poorer outcomes outlined in GIBM’s California Report.

  • ICMI held a virtual men’s issues conference. The 2021 International Conference on Men’s Issues was one of a number of conferences highlighting the growing importance and recognition of men’s issues. Videos are still available at the site.

  • Colorado Coalition for Boys and Men launched. Activists in Colorado have launched a new coalition to support legislation in that state, with data provided by GIBM in the Colorado State Report on Boys and Men.

  • The UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Issues Affecting Men and Boys was founded and subsequently released a report “‘A Boy Today’: The world into which a boy today in the UK is growing up.” This group is chaired by Mark Jenkinson MP (Workington) and it’s mission is “To raise awareness of disadvantages and poor outcomes faced by men and boys in education, mental and physical health and law; to influence attitudes, role models, policy and legislation that will lead to positive differences to their well-being and lives.”

Physical and Mental Health


Criminal Justice and Court Systems



Do you agree with our choices? Is there anything else we missed that could be added here? Let us know and we will share in a future newsletter. Please email feedback to marks@gibm.us.

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