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Every year, International Men’s Day is commemorated worldwide to shine a spotlight on men who are making a positive difference and to raise awareness of issues that men face on a global scale.
With suicide being the biggest killer of men under the age of 45, according to charity Calm, encouraging people to have open conversations about topics such as men’s mental health and male suicide is essential.

So when did International Men’s Day start, what does it celebrate and what’s this year’s theme?

Here is everything you need to know:

When is it?

International Men’s Day is celebrated annually on 19 November.

The date coincides with the birthday of the father of Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, a doctor from Trinidad and Tobago who relaunched International Men’s Day in 1999.

Despite the existence of the global event over the past two decades, there are many who don’t realise that the day exists, and some who oppose the notion of International Women’s Day, which takes place on 8 March. Every year on International Women’s Day, comedian Richard Herring makes it his mission to educate naysayers on the existence of International Men’s Day.

“8 March, International Women’s Day is being celebrated today. Why [is] International Men’s Day [not] celebrated on some date? This proves that feminism prevails all over the world,” one person tweeted this year.

“Hey I was as angry as you, but when I Googled it to see if it was possible to set a men’s day up I discovered someone had already done it, It’s November 19th. Good news, hey?” Herring responded. In 2018, Herring used the attention that his comedic tweets were receiving to raise more than £150,000 for domestic violence charity Refuge.

What does it celebrate?

The aim of International Men’s Day is to celebrate positive male role models and to raise awareness of men’s issues. These include topics such as mental health, toxic masculinity and the prevalence of male suicide.

International Men’s Day coincides with Movember, which involves men growing their facial hair in an effort to promote conversations about men’s mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

“The observances of International Men’s Day are part of a global love revolution,” said Dr Teelucksingh.

“International Men’s Day is observed on an annual basis by persons from all walks of life, who support the ongoing effort to improve lives, heal scarred hearts, seek solutions to social problems, mend troubled minds, reform the social outcasts and uplift the dysfunctional.

“International Men’s Day is designed to promote positive role models in society and develop wholesome individuals.”

What’s this year’s theme?

The theme for International Men's Day 2019 is: "Making a Difference for Men and Boys".

Warwick Marsh, coordinator of internationalmensday.co.uk, explained the inspiration behind this year's chosen theme.

"We want to promote the need to value men and boys and help people make practical improvements in men and boy’s health and well-being," he said.

"International Men’s Day encourages men to lead by example. Boys need positive male role models. Our broader community also needs positive male role models. This is the best way to create a fair and safe society which allows everyone the opportunity to flourish."