Comments on: Peace Corps Observes International Men’s Day

By: Pam

Pam — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 23:03:48 +0000

This is International Men’s Day. I feel we should also celebrate the great contributions that Men have made to the Peace Core over the many years. Well done guys!!

By: EvilPundit

EvilPundit — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:49:04 +0000

So the US Peace Corps “observes” International Men’s day by shaming and slandering men, and talking about women’s problems?

It’s rather sexist to attack half the world’s population on the one day that’s meant to celebrate their achievements.

By: sam

sam — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 18:17:37 +0000

This whole article reads like the Peace Core considers males to be flawed and in need of re-training. There is an ant-male odor that might explain the 60% female to 40% male ratio in the Core. Using International Mens day as a medium to criticize you male volunteers is a shame.

You use International Womens Day to celebrate your female volunteers and there achievements, and rightly so. Doing the same for the young men who give of their time for the Core I suppose is too much to ask.

By: dungone

dungone — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:43:11 +0000

Thank you to the Peace Corps for demonstrating why it is so very important for there to be an International Men’s Day. I’m looking forward to read what the Peace Corps has to say on March 8th about what women and girls can do to improve the lives of men.

By: Mark Neil

Mark Neil — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:52:10 +0000

Even on a day to talk about boys and men, it has to be discussed in relation to how it benefits women? For all the power and authority men supposedly have, are men seriously not allowed to discuss their own issues outside the framework of feminist rhetoric? Seems some people can only see men as dangerous, violent, controlling and abusive. Vulnerable, abused, manipulated and controlled are not part of the vocabulary. Why am I not surprised at this attempt to co-op the international men’s day for the benefit of women? The boys being constripted into the military before they are even as tall as the guns shoved into their hands, they don’t matter. The boys dressed up as girls and raped because there is punishment for raping girls but not boys, they don’t matter. The hundreds of thousands of men dieing alone on the streets, they don’t matter. The men putting guns in their mouths and pulling the trigger, they don’t matter. what matters is that men aren’t doing enough the other 364 days of the year dedicated to women, we need to co-op this one day for acknowledging men’s issues too, and make it for the benefit of women.

By: AnthonyZarat

AnthonyZarat — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:30:48 +0000

Men and boys are the vast majority of victims of violence, the majority of suicides, the majority of the homeless, the majority of victims of mental illness and substance abuse, and globally live 7 years less than women. Given all of these FACTS, it is beyond belief that the only use that the “Peace Corps” can find for international men’s day, is to shame and denigrate men into doing EVEN MORE for women than they already do.

Shame on this sexist and discriminatory organization. You will NEVER receive one dime of my money.

By: Sasha

Sasha — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:14:38 +0000

I don’t know Buck Buckingham, but while I’m sure this statement means well, it’s actually perpetuating the stance that men are a utility, that they don’t have any innate worth as human beings, they’re only of value if they are serving women.

Indeed, the overall tone smacks of the usual ‘women HAVE problems, but men ARE problems’ double standard.

For instance, why should it only be possible to have ‘several strategies that engage men and boys’ if it’s ‘to reduce gender inequalities’? Why not simply help men and boys because, well, men and boys are human too?

Why should you assume that we need to ‘demonstrate that strength does not require violence’? Most men are not violent. Most men use their strength in positive ways. Did you not watch any footage of men working to repair the recent damage caused by hurricane Sandy in the USA?

Why ‘address male norms as they are forming by promoting healthy behaviors and respect for female peers’? Again, why is helping men conditional upon helping women? Why do only women matter?

You say “training reinforces the contextual risks PCVs need to be aware of to protect their own health such as excessive alcohol consumption or unprotected sex, and promotes a “zero tolerance” approach to any predatory sexual behaviors” – what, so men are automatically drunken rapists are they?

If this is how you mark International Mens Day, then to be frank I’d rather you hadn’t bothered.