Movember meets Ministers, MPs, and a Mayor to call for greater government action on men’s health
Movember has advocated for more government action on men’s health and called for the launch of men’s health strategy in the UK by talking to policy makers, ambassadors, and our Movember community up and down the country; all while inviting people to sit for a moment on our ‘A Problem Halved’ bench.
Movember Ambassador and star of Ted Lasso and Celebrity Race Across the World, Kola Bokinni, met Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan at City Hall on 8 November to talk about men’s physical and mental wellbeing and the experiences of young men online. They chatted around Kola’s own experiences of mental health and the story he shared on Race Across the World. Sadiq reflected on men’s health saying:
“It was refreshing to speak with Movember and Kola on the importance of men opening up about their physical and mental health. Men’s health doesn’t exist in a vacuum and we all need to do more to make sure men are more comfortable speaking out when experiencing poor mental health.”
“From our research here in City Hall and after hearing about Movember’s work, we know that sadly young people are being exposed to harmful content and misogynist influencers online. As part of my public health approach to tackling violence against women and girls, I’m committed to working with partners including Movember to listen and learn from the experiences of young men online. A big part of this is encouraging men to prioritise their mental health and wellbeing, improve education around healthy relationships and ensure young men have positive role models, so we can build a safer and fairer London for everyone.”
On 18 November, (ahead of International Men’s Day the following day), the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting and Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle joined Ministers Stephen Kinnock and Andrew Gwynne, to sit on the bench at the Department of Health & Social Care’s (DHSC) offices, overlooking Westminster, to chat to Movember and find out all about why we Mo.
On 21 November, Movember’s Global Policy and Advocacy Lead, Amy O’Connor, was invited to join the DHSC’s Men’s Health Network panel alongside a group of men’s health experts at their Leeds offices. Over 110 people dialled in from across the government, including the UK Health Security Agency, the Department of Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Defence to hear what more could be done to improve men’s health outcomes.
On 22 November, MP Rachael Maskell joined Movember and the University of York’s Institute of Mental Health Research to discuss men’s health and call for more government intervention to make a meaningful difference. The institute, led by Movember partner Professor of Nursing and Men’s Health, Paul Galdas, invited students to join Rachael and Movember to talk about their own experiences while sitting on Movember’s mental health bench.
Rachael chatted to student ambassadors about why they support the cause and shared her view on government action saying;
“For too long men’s health has been pushed to the margins, which is why the work Movember does, with partners including the University of York and their student ambassadors is so incredibly important in creating a more open and inclusive society where men can step forward and be supported. Thriving men benefits all of society, and we need to better understand the complex causes of poor men’s health, the broader impact it has on communities and invest in tailored solutions in education, health system reform, and research to meet the unique needs of all genders. As per the recommendations of the last Health Select Committee, of which I was a member, more government action is undoubtedly needed and a dedicated men’s health strategy and a Centre for Men’s Health to partner with the women’s health strategy will help us in driving forward progress.”
Movember’s ‘A Problem Shared is a Problem Halved’ bench first launched in October at Borough Yards, London. It can’t balance solo, only becoming a functional bench when two people are sat at opposite sides. The idea it communicates is that when we’re all well supported and listened to everyone benefits and maintaining strong social connections is crucial.
Movember’s Real Face of Men’s Health campaign earlier this year found that boys born in the UK in 2021 are expected to live 4 years less than girls, with almost 2-in-5 men (39%) dying prematurely, before the age of 75. In addition, 64% of men wait over a week with symptoms before visiting a doctor.
Movember’s global lead, policy and Advocacy, Amy O’Connor said;
“Too many men across the UK are dying too young from preventable reasons and more government action is needed. That’s why we’ve been inviting government leaders to join us on the ‘A Problem Halved’ bench to raise awareness for the complex causes of poor men’s health; and why the UK needs to invest in education, health system reform to meet the unique needs of all genders and have a dedicated men’s health strategy if we truly want to make progress."