Men fare worse than women in education, health and crime (ABS)

In February 2012 the ABS released its Gender Indicators Report accompanied by a media release titled Busy mums want more paid work that completely ignored male disadvantage (see Men's Health Australia report here).

Today they have redressed this imbalance by releasing their latest Gender Indicators Report with a media release (quoted in full below) titled Men fare worse than women in education, health and crime. Congratulations are due to the ABS for focusing upon the politically unpopular side of the gender coin: men and boys. We will see whether the media release makes it through the lace curtain and gets picked up by the mass media or not.

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ABS - Australian Social Trends, June 2010 - Men's Health

Men's attitudes towards health and health services are different to those of women. These differences are due to both biological and gender factors. Men are more likely than women to engage in risky behaviours such as substance abuse and dangerous driving. They also have a higher incidence of many conditions, and are more likely to die from certain causes.

Understanding these gender and biological differences is an important step to achieving gender equity and in achieving the highest standard of public health. In recognition of this, the Australian Government recently released a National Male Health Policy, providing a framework for improving male health across Australia, across different life stages and population groups.

The ABS article focuses specifically on issues of men's health and complements information on issues relating to women's health included in Australian Social Trends 2004, 'How women care for their health'.

Inquiry Into the Effectiveness of the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act 1984

This submission by Dads on the Air recommends, amongst other things, that "Any proposed changes to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 must be based upon the principle of gender equality, not just 'equality for women'. The Act must be re-written to be gender-neutral so that it continues to assist women in those areas where they suffer disadvantage but also assists men in those areas in which they suffer disadvantage."

You can download a copy of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee report from here.

Does Feminism Discriminate Against Men?

A review of a new book titled Does Feminism Discriminate Against Men?: A Debate between Warren Farrell (with Steven Svoboda) and James P. Sterba. This book is the first time one of the two main academic presses (Oxford University Press and Harvard University Press) has attempted to introduce a male-positive perspective to feminist gender studies professors in the U.S. and Canada. How badly is this needed in universities? Have a look at this email received by Warren Farrell:

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Setting The Record Straight On Masculinity

One of John Ashfield's "Men's Health Brief" articles. Decades of anti-male gender politics have seen men and masculinity made the scapegoats for every human ill you can name. "Self-destruction is masculine, getting better is feminine" wrote a once pro-feminist author, Herb Goldberg. But are men and masculinity really any more flawed than women and femininity? And if we’re to lament the oversupply of dysfunctional men in the world, shouldn’t we also deplore the oversupply of dysfunctional women?