PRESS RELEASE
Contact: G. Lawrence DeMarco, LLM
Telephone: +1 215-901-1930
Email: ldemarco@menandboys.net
Men’s Equality Month Celebrates Men as the Backbone of Civilization
December 4, 2025 — Reflecting upon the events that transpired around the world this past month, Men’s Equality Month, the International Council for Men and Boys (ICMB) affirms a simple truth: men are the backbone of civilization, as fathers, peacemakers, workers, and defenders of liberty (1).
While equality between men and women is a shared goal, the sexes have important physical, social, and psychological differences that give rise to complementary roles that sustain society (2).
Fathers: The Foundation of Family and Civilization
This year’s International Men’s Day, November 19, Dads4Kids (Australia) held a nine-hour livestream honoring fathers and mentors for their strength, kindness, and commitment to family life (3). It emphasized the importance of positive male role models in raising healthy children and building strong communities.
Across cultures, involved fathers help children develop resilience, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills (4). UNICEF reports that father absence is linked to lower social and emotional wellbeing among children in developed nations like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom (5). Father-engagement programs from India to Kenya and the Philippines show that when men are welcomed into family life, outcomes for boys and girls improve (6).
Peacemakers: Men Who Build and Defend Peace
Recently, in a historic achievement for diplomacy, the Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity, signed by delegations from more than 20 nations, was negotiated entirely by men, underscoring their essential role as peacebuilders (7). In contrast, research by the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that European queens were historically more likely than kings to wage war (8), yet men are often mislabeled as the more violent gender.
Builders of Nations
The most recent U.S. labor report reveals that men accounted for over 91% of all workplace fatalities, reflecting their dominant presence in high-risk, essential jobs (9). This pattern holds globally, with recent studies confirming men face significantly higher occupational hazards in industries like construction and protective services (10)(11).
Defenders of Liberty
A report on the Russia-Ukraine war highlights that 45,000 Ukrainian women serve in the military (12), while the total armed forces total 595,000 – 92.5% men (13), the overwhelming majority of frontline fighters. In times of conflict, men account for more than nine in ten wartime casualties, underscoring the heavy price they pay to protect their nations and communities (14).
Equal dignity means equal appreciation; societies that neglect the welfare of men and boys weaken their own foundations. The Council calls on leaders, educators, and the media to renew efforts that recognize and support the essential roles men play in family, peace, labor, and national service.
The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization that works to celebrate men’s contributions to society and to end the twelve sex disparities that affect men and boys around the world. Achieving #GenderEqualityForMen will also benefit women. https://www.menandboys.net/
Links:
(1) https://www.menandboys.net/mem/2025-2/
(2) https://www.saveservices.org/men/backbone/
(3) https://dads4kids.org.au/celebrate-international-mens-day-2025/
(4) https://developingchild.harvard.edu/
(5) https://www.unicef.org/
(6) https://men-care.org/
(7) https://endtodv.org/pr/embarrassing-failure-of-25-year-feminist-peacekeeping-campaign/
(8) https://www.nber.org/papers/w23337
(9) https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf
(10) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39674912
(11) https://www.lrfoundation.org.uk/news/global-construction-industry-facing-endemic-workplace-harm-problem
(12) https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/03/08/7445533/
(13) https://dupuyinstitute.org/2025/02/25/force-ratios-in-the-russo-ukrainian-war/
(14) https://www.newswise.com/articles/the-stress-of-war-harms-civilian-men-more-than-women