International Men’s Day: Men Talk About The Pressure They Face

Every November 19, men are celebrated annually during the International Men’s Day (IMD) and it is celebrated in over 70 countries.

The day is set aside to highlight discrimination against men and boys as well as to celebrate their achievements and contributions to community, family, marriage and child care.

In this piece, Guardian Life talks to some men about the pressure that comes with being a man both at the workplace and in the family.

Kayode Idowu says,

“Generally speaking, I feel like men have it easier. Men are privileged than women in the workspace and get away with more than their female counterparts may not”.

For Mosenj, gender has nothing to do with his productivity but rather his output. He says,

“I get things done easier based on my productivity and not gender. If you are on top of your game then even if you are a girl, you are still treated with the utmost respect that men also get.”

Emmanuel Omomo on his part believes that the Nigerian economy puts more pressure on the man than women when he says,

“It’s a little unnatural because the economic situation of Nigeria determines what you need to do per day hence a higher level of productivity is expected of you as a man. For me the pressure is that being a man means more responsibilities and expectations to meet.”

Omomo’s thoughts are reechoed by Ayoola Oyewale,

“As a man, you have a lot of responsbiities on your plate; rent, fees, being the head of a household and workload. You have to find a balance in juggling all of this while still trying to meet expectations. For me, the pressure is finding that balance and once you are able to, you are can do a lot.”