The Other Side of Inequality: Why Men's Struggles Deserve a Voice!

India has recorded immense progress in gender equity. However, beneath these achievements lies an overlooked reality: men and boys are experiencing unspeakable yet unacknowledged disparities in spheres related to health, income, and safety, as well as social support. This changing environment requires our focus to be not on a gender competition but on inclusive equality. There are around six key issues highlighted by statistical data that reflect the challenges and inequalities faced by men (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
The Data Demands Attention: India's Men and Boys Are Facing Severe Inequalities

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The Decline of Men’s Well-being

Life expectancy also demonstrates the gender divide in India, where men stand to live up to age 70.5 and women live longer, to approximately 73.6 years. This disparity is not only biological but also indicates the degree of access to healthcare, stress, and risky lifestyles that men can be exposed to during their lives.

Another telling statistic is adult mortality (ages 15–60). For every 1,000 adult men, 178 die before the age of 60, compared to 122 women in the same age group.

This disparity indicates the fact that men have severe health risks involved and an altogether more earnest necessity of providing gender equality in health care changes that can promote the health of men as well.

When Childhood Turns to Child Labor

In India, there are 10.1 million child laborers, out of which 5.6 million are boys. This astonishing figure brings home a cruel truth: the lives of millions of boys are being dragged out of classrooms and into early labor. Not only does it deny them the right to a proper childhood, but it also deprives them of education, development, and a brighter future, perpetuating poverty and inequality cycles.

Victims of Violent Deaths

In 2022, men accounted for 70% of all homicide victims in India, with the majority being adult males. The picture is even more alarming when it comes to suicide—from 2015 to 2022, over 101,000 men took their own lives each year, which is more than twice the number of female suicides.

The suicide rate among men stands at 14.2 per 100,000, compared to 6.6 for women. These numbers point to a silent epidemic of violence and self-harm among men that is often ignored, and it’s clear that this crisis needs to be confronted openly and urgently.

Men in the Shadows of Abuse

Intimate partner (IP) violence is usually referred to as something that affects women, yet, notably, men are also victims of abuse, and some of them stay silent. In rural Haryana, 52.4 percent of men claimed they had faced psychological abuse by their partner, which even tops the percentage of the same reported by women in the region. Such men usually hold back because of the fear of being ridiculed, shamed, or not taken seriously at all. Their suffering exists, but society's expectations of men make it difficult for them to seek help. It is high time we provided for all victims of abuse, regardless of their gender.

The Overlooked Struggles of Homeless Men

In India, homelessness is disproportionately a male crisis, yet it remains largely overlooked. The number of homeless men outweighs that of homeless women by more than 1 million men to 726,000 women thereby implying that approximately 694 women out of every 1,000 homeless men. Such a disparity underscores the specific fragilities men experience, such as lack of societal support, job insecurity, and psychological problems, which are poorly noticed or addressed by society and policy.

The Silent Toll on Working Men

In Delhi’s construction sector in 2017, almost every injury—1,043 out of 1,080—happened to men. Behind each number is the face of a man toiling long hours, often in unsafe working conditions, just to keep his family alive. These individuals work under dangerous circumstances—sometimes scampering over scaffolds, carrying heavy equipment, or laboring under the burning sun—yet we seldom pay attention to them. The more significant problem here is that men are expected to take up risky jobs without prioritizing their safety and well-being. It is high time we recognized their vulnerability and advocated for a better working environment that is safer and more human-friendly.

Voicing Out Matters!

True gender equality uplifts everyone—not just women. Men and boys, also, should have specific attention, policies, and social services to help them with issues that are related to them. Their plight should not be ignored, as this closes the door on equality in the society.

Although women face numerous challenges, they often have access to support systems, awareness campaigns, and societal platforms that amplify their voices and highlight their struggles.

In contrast, men’s issues are frequently overlooked or dismissed. Society often expects men to be tough, silent, and emotionally resilient, leaving them without the same level of support or space to express their struggles.

As a result, many of the challenges men face go unspoken and unaddressed.

When Every Voice Matters, Every Life Matters!
Reference:

1. The Data Demands Attention: India's Men and Boys Are Facing Severe Inequalities - (https://www.menandboys.net/the-data-demands-attention-indias-men-and-boys-are-facing-severe-inequalities/)

Source-Medindia