Gender Affairs Anguilla will join the International community in recognising men in the month of June. This year, we will celebrate Men’s Week from Sunday, 20 – Sunday, 27 June 2021, under the theme “MILES for Health: Men Inspiring, Leading, Educating and Supporting Health”. This theme will allow us to engage with our male demographic through several activities and initiatives throughout the week.
Health, as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is “a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasising social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities.” In almost every country of the world, men are more likely than women to die before age seventy (70) – and data from the World Health Organisation suggests that approximately 52% of all Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) deaths worldwide occurred among men.
In Anguilla, the 2018 Health Profile indicated that males accounted for 56% of NCDs deaths and had 2.5 times higher cancer deaths than their female counterparts. Additionally, 62% of males accounted for premature deaths, while the male demographic death rates for Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) were 4.3 times higher than females.
Men’s Week 2021 will focus on celebrating and supporting our Men who Inspire, Lead, Educate and Support health initiatives and healthy lifestyles in Anguilla. Appreciating that good health requires a holistic approach, the week will expose our men and boys to the following dimensions of health:
1. Physical Health/ Wellbeing – The physical body and how well it is operating
2. MENtal Health – Psychological and emotional well-being
3. Spiritual Health – The values, the relationships, and the meaning and purpose of our lives
4. Social/Environmental Health – Interpersonal relationships with others. The relationships between people and their environment
5. Financial Health – The state of one’s personal financial situation – including savings, retirement planning, and the income spent on fixed or non-discretionary expenses.
The week of activities will allow our 2021 honourees to engage with the community, as well as to highlight their work towards promoting and empowering holistic – healthy lifestyles. A selection committee was tasked with identifying and selecting the 2021 honourees. The committee comprised the following:
1. Mrs. Hyacinth Bradley – Community Services Planner, Ministry of Social Development
2. Mr. James Carty – Former Social Worker and Community Leader and
3. Mr. Malik Richard – Youth Leader, Former Honouree and Founder of Mentality AI.
The Gender Affairs Unit would like to thank the members of the committee for their hard work in selecting twelve (12) honourees for Men’s Week 2021.
In light of the theme, the Gender Affairs Unit will collaborate with community stakeholders to build awareness around issues affecting the male demographic. Our young boys and men will be educated through various initiatives with a call to action for men to check their health status.
The week of recognition will commence with the 2021 honourees joining in worship at the Kingdom Citizens Church on Sunday, 20 June. During the week, males 18 years and over will benefit from a 5% discount on select services at the Health Authority of Anguilla, Hughes Medical Centre and the Atlantic Star Centre of Medical Excellence. In addition, the Health Promotion Unit and ACAN will join with the Gender Affairs Unit to host a Health Education Fair on Friday 25 June 2021.
Other activities throughout the week will include engagement within the primary schools as well as Radio Interviews and a Social Media campaign. Further, the MILES for Health Walk, led by MILES Anguilla will take place on Saturday, 26 June. The Walk to Shoal Bay will begin and end at the Scouts and Guides Ruthwill Auditorium. It is anticipated that at least 500 milers will participate in this event!
The Gender Affairs Unit encourage everyone to follow us on our social media pages at the handle “Gender Affairs Anguilla”. Stay tuned to our pages as we reveal our 2021 honourees on Sunday 20 June. We will also share detailed information on the week of activities.
In addition, persons can reach The Gender Affairs Unit via telephone at 497-3930 ext. 3505 or email us at Kemoloy.murphy@gov.ai
