Welcome to “The Gender Corner,” published every other week in collaboration with The Anguillian newspaper. We are focusing on specific gender issues facing our island today. Through this publication we hope to provide thought-provoking and stimulating discussion that will translate into practical ways of effecting positive change. This week, in celebration of Men’s Week, the Gender Affairs Unit is pleased to feature the literary voices of two of the Anguilla National Youth Ambassadors, Mr. Bradlee Winston-Levon and Mr. Hackeem Alves. In honour of Men’s Week, they reflect upon the topic “Masculinity: Does it make you a Man?” and offer their opinions on what qualities are involved in true masculinity.
Masculinity… is it a drink? Is it something that can be bought? Is it something we can see? Or is it you – a man or society’s view of a man? Masculinity is the strength and vigour of a man in society, often with views of a man as strong, unmoving and steady. In the past, the sole role of the man was to be the breadwinner. If a man was not the main financial support for his family he was considered a disgrace among his family members and in society. Even as years have passed, the role of the breadwinner is still strongly associated with being a man. But what if a man cannot be the bread winner – what will happen then? Billy Sunday, noted athlete and evangelist, said: “You can’t measure manhood with a tape line around [his] biceps.” We would venture to add, “nor the money in [his] bank account.”
To us, what makes a “man” truly a “man” is his sense of 1) Self-awareness, 2) Responsibility and 3) Ambition. A man that doesn’t have self-awareness is a man who doesn’t know himself. Self-awareness is simply being conscious of oneself, including taking care of yourself and your surroundings. This involves everyday rituals such as making up your bed, brushing your teeth, etc. If a man cannot take care of himself how can he ever hope to take care of others or raise a family properly and efficiently? This then leads to his responsibility and ambition. Since society often views the role of a man as the breadwinner, what happens if he is unable to perform that role?
The man’s “duty” is then that of a supportive role. If his wife is the current breadwinner he then has the responsibility to support her. He can do this by taking care of the housework, the kids and other things she may not have the time to do. A man’s responsibility is to take action when the call of duty has been placed. You hear that young men? Call of Duty! Men, both young and old, should be able to take responsibility when needed. This does not mean that he is less of a man. In fact, he is just as manly as any other man. This is because he has taken RESPONSIBILITY and INITIATIVE. Men should be proud of themselves for being able to reinvent and apply themselves to a change of role. Their adaptation is incredible and is closely tied with their ambition.
Lastly, a man should have ambition. Ambition is the urge and the drive to excel at whatever task he is accomplishing. Even though the man might have taken up a supportive role in the household he can still push himself further. For example, there can be an opportunity to become a paid part-time Content Creator or producing videos distributed through various websites. This may even allow him to work at home and contribute even further to the household. Realizing the available opportunities for him, even though he has adopted the supportive role, shows his ambition.
Robert Jordan in the book The Great Hunt wrote: “There is one rule, above all others, for being a man. Whatever comes, face it on your feet.” I applaud my gender for persevering through many hardships and reinventing themselves. I urge them to keep up the good work and continue. Remember: SELF AWARENESS, RESPONSIBILITY and AMBITION.
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The Gender Affairs Unit thanks Mr. Bradlee Winston-Levon and Mr. Hackeem Alves for submitting an article to The Gender Corner. Individuals and groups are also invited to send submissions such as opinion articles, visionary reflections or poems related to gender issues. Please send a submission of no more than 500-words to Ronya Foy Connor at Ronya.Foy-Connor@gov.ai.
