A friend of mine was sitting next to the Minister of Women’s Affairs on the plane recently and I asked him if he had asked her, if “women have many affairs?” Ok, that’s a poor shot at humour.
The Hon. Jo Goodhew has an incredibly important role and I love that we are the first country in the world to give women the vote, the first country in the world where women have held the 3 most senior offices (Prime Minister, Governor General and Chief Justice). The Ministry of Women’s Affairs has been and will continue to play an incredibly important role.
This got me thinking though… Is there a need for a Minister of Men’s Affairs?
We spend a huge amount of resources protecting and supporting the disadvantaged, and maybe we need to focus on addressing a core issue …
Men!
What if the Ministry of Men’s Affairs had one goal “to develop better men”
Less addictive
Less abusive
Less prejudiced
Less couch bound
More literate
More balanced
More tolerant
More adventurous
Better role models
Better fathers
Better husbands and partners
Great Men who break repeating cycles and in turn raise Great Men.
∴
I know plenty of great men. I also know plenty of men, and communities where men struggle with abuse and addictions and have never had great role models. These men are the role models for tomorrow’s men.
I know that a Ministry of Men’s Affairs is probably politically incorrect. It’s not a strong opinion or deep held belief or a statement on equality. Rather it’s an evocative post to remind us men are the cause of much of society’s problems, and maybe, just maybe, a focus on them might have long term benefits.
If you are a Man reading this post, the implication is clear.
Break the cycle. Be a Great Man!