Charlestown-Nevis—International men’s day was observed on Nevis on Sunday 19th November.
Coordinator at the Gender Affairs Department on Nevis, Miss Lorraine Archibald, teamed up with the ‘HOMEY’ church—The Newcastle Wesleyan Holiness church, to celebrate the significant day.
Pastor Ron Daniel and his congregation, graciously accepted the offer to host the contingent from the Ministry of Social Development, who chose to worship at the church on that day.
As part of the morning’s worship session, the men’s group led out lustily with the praise and worship selections and the scripture reading was done by the father/son combination, of Warren Moving and his son.
Pastor Daniel, in giving welcoming remarks, saluted ‘the women who make us men,’ as he highlighted the important role played by the women in the society, in the lives of their men.
Gender Affairs Coordinator, Miss Lorraine Archibald, addressed the congregation and in her brief remarks, gave the general objectives for the observance of international men’s day:
- Focus on the health of men and boys
- Improved gender relations
- Promoting gender equality
- Highlighting positive male role models
She further stated that it was an occasion for men to celebrate their achievements and contributions to the society.
Among those representing the Ministry of Social Development were: Permanent Secretary, Mr. Keith Glasgow; Asst. Permanent Secretary, Miss D. Michelle Liburd; Seniors’ Division Coordinator, Miss Trudy Prentice and Miss Udorna Liburd.
According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
“International Men’s Day (IMD) is an annual international event celebrated on 19 November. Inaugurated in 1992 on 7 February by Thomas Oaster. The project of International Men’s Day was conceived one year earlier on 8 February 1991. The project was re-initialized in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago. The longest running celebration of International Men’s Day is Malta, where events have occurred since 7 February 1994.
Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh, who revived the event, chose 19 November to honour his father’s birthday and also to celebrate how on that date in 1989 Trinidad and Tobago’s soccer team had united the country with their endeavours to qualify for the soccer world cup. Dr. Teelucksingh has promoted International Men’s Day as not just a gendered day but a day where all issues affecting men and boys can be addressed. He has said of IMD and its grass roots activists, “They are striving for gender equality and patiently attempt to remove the negative images and the stigma associated with men in our society”
International Men’s Day is celebrated in over 70 countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Burundi, Canada, the Cayman Islands, China, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, France, Ghana, Grenada, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Malta, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Zimbabwe, on 19 November, and global support for the celebration is broad. International Men’s Day is followed by Universal Children’s Day on 20 November, forming a 48-hour celebration of men and children, respectively. Additionally, the month of November is also occasionally recognized as International Men’s Month.”