‘Africa has highest male suicide rate’

ZIMBABWEANS must strive to be exemplary in the communities they live in to help address socio-economic issues that in most cases lead to suicides, depression and stress among other challenges.

This comes amid reports that Africa has the highest male suicide rate at 18 percent per 100 000 people compared to the global average of 12,4 percent per 100 000 population.

It is also further estimated that 77 percent of suicides occurred in low and middle-income countries, according to the Integrated African Health Observatory, a strategic health intelligence platform of the World Health Organisation.

The revelations were made during an event organised by the Victoria Falls City Council to celebrate the belated International Men’s Day and Wellness Day in the resort city.

The day was attended by various stakeholders including the National Social Security Authority, Premier Service Medical Aid Society and others as well as residents and council workers who all participated in an awareness procession from Glow Service Station to the council offices in the central business district.

This is the first time the Victoria Falls City Council is holding the International Men’s Day commemorations.

The day is commemorated on the 19th of November annually with an emphasis on men’s health, gender equality and male role models.

International Men’s Day is an annual international event celebrated on November 19 and was inaugurated in 1992 on February 7 by Thomas Oaster.

The project of International Men’s Day was conceived one year earlier on February 8, 1991 and re-initialised in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago.

The longest-running celebration of International Men’s Day is in Malta, where events have occurred since February 7, 1994.

Victoria Falls has added to the day’s activities, with the day now celebrated in more than 70 countries worldwide.

The theme for this year was “Zero Male Suicide,” which addresses suicide, an unfortunate scenario that is bedevilling our society.

Speaking at the event, Victoria Falls City Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube said there was a lack of resources to combat domestic violence against men and the falling behind of young men and boys in education, resulting in them facing a plethora of social issues.

“All this stems from the lack of acceptance of male issues which are compounded by the mythical assertion that men are strong. Men have endured bad press coverage for several reasons. There is no other group blamed for the poor behaviour of the community than men.

“Council has taken a noble step in ensuring that there is a gender champion within the Local Authority who pursues gender-related challenges. Though there is a general misunderstanding that gender attention is all about women, it is in fact related to both males and females. The Local Authority enjoys a complementary relationship which is alive in this structure,” said Mr Dube.

He said equal employment opportunities are availed by Council and commemorating the day was a way of appreciating men in the community.

The city’s Chamber Secretary Ms Kholwani Mangena said the day is not about promoting male superiority but about fostering gender equality and acknowledging that men are also humans and deserve support, in the spirit of inclusiveness.

“These are scary statistics and we do not want to be part of these sad statistics. As a city we have taken it upon ourselves to say no man should die of suicide, hence the reason for also having the City of Victoria Falls Wellness Day today to talk to men and celebrate their positive contributions to the development of the city and the society at large,” said Ms Mangena.

She thanked partners who helped to amplify the call around mental health issues.

The day was also used as the city’s observance of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, with free medical check-ups and counselling done.

Victoria Falls Mayor Councillor Prince Thuso Moyo said while women also play a crucial role in society, men have played a pivotal role in the community, being heads to their families and in some cases the community leadership.

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

“We have put the spotlight on positive role models to raise awareness of men’s health and well-being. The day is set aside to raise awareness on the responsibilities of men and their role to teach boys on how to become valuable members of the community,” he said.

Clr Moyo implored citizens to become the positive change they seek.

“It is only when we all, both men and women lead by example that we impact the community positively and seek to raise responsible children who will lead us in future,” he said.