Kiwi men need health equality
Men get a raw deal in the health stakes, and we need a Ministry of Men’s Health to do something about it, of the Men’s Health Trust argues.
Women make up just over half our population – 51.5 per cent, in fact. As a society, we care about female equality because it’s the fair and right thing to do.
Men make up the other half of our population, yet we’re often indifferent to men’s interests.
While historically it has been a ‘‘man’s world’’, we are now seeing areas where men are failing – should we care?
In the Social Progress Index (2015) covering 133 countries, and the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report (2014) of 142 countries, New Zealand ranks fifth and 13th respectively. These reports demonstrate society’s commitment towards equality, although progress is intergenerational and far from swift.
These reports also highlight the asymmetric way the world sees men’s issues. It is ‘‘inequality’’ if men are doing better than women (ie in leadership), and something must be done to reverse this. But if women are doing better than men (ie in health), we should not care about the imbalance and instead treat it as equality.
The World Economic Forum sums this up nicely, saying its methodology ‘‘rewards countries that reach the point where outcomes for women equal those of men, but it neither rewards nor penalises cases in which women are outperforming men’’.
This is policy code for saying ‘‘in areas where men are achieving better than women, something needs to be done, but where women are doing better than men, no action is required’’. This is the paradox – our measurement of equality is not equality at all.
For over a century New Zealand has been recognised for its progressive approach to gender. Women won the right to vote in 1893, we elected our first woman MP in 1933, and we set up the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (now called the Ministry for Women) in 1984.
The ministry has three clear and positive priorities – improving economic outcomes for women, improving leadership opportunities for women, and protecting women from violence. Women do not have (but deserve) both equality and safety in society.
Yet inequality for women remains an issue. Our domestic violence numbers are a national disgrace. Women make up only 15 per cent of directors in our top 100 listed companies, and a third of our MPs. Studies report that women are paid around 10 per cent less than men. These are clear problems where women are disadvantaged.
However, we also need to think about addressing gaps where men are disadvantaged. For example, on its website the Ministry for Women asserts that ‘‘in education, women continue to outperform men’’.
New Zealand ranks highest for educational attainment of 142 countries in the World Economic
3000 men die every year from preventable illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.
Women live four years longer than men.
Pakeha men live seven years longer than Maori men.
65 per cent of men are overweight or obese.
The suicide rate for men is three times that of women.
Across every age bracket, more men than women drink to hazardous levels and smoke daily.
48.2 per cent of men deem their wellbeing as either awesome or nearly awesome, compared to 45.3 per cent of females.
69.4 per cent of men have visited their general practitioner in the past six months, compared to 75.9 per cent of women.
13.2 per cent of men say they have no-one to talk to about intimate matters, compared to 9.3 per cent of females. (Sources: Men’s Health Trust, Sovereign Wellbeing Index, 2012-13 New Zealand Health Survey, Statistics New Zealand) Forum report, yet three female university students are enrolled for every two male students. For secondary schooling, the focus is on the number of female students equalling the number of male students (to identify countries where young women are denied educational opportunities) – but shouldn’t countries where young men drop out of education (leaving more female than male students) also be seen as an equality problem?
Turning to health, we see that men’s health in New Zealand is (on average) something of a disaster.
Men have worse outcomes than women for a wide range of mental and physical health metrics, including substance abuse, suicide, cancer and longevity. Men are (on average) about 10 per cent more likely to have (and die from) cancer than women; about three times more likely to commit suicide; and can expect to die about four years earlier (source: Ministry of Health website). They are also less likely to seek help.
Why are we reluctant to target men’s health? Why are men reluctant to help themselves?
Australia is ahead of the game, and in 2010 took the big step of compiling a National Male Health Policy. We can show global leadership and go a step further with a Ministry of Men’s Health (or a broader Ministry for Men) with a similar budget ($5 million) and similar staffing (around 30) as the Ministry for Women. This could achieve a lot towards equality in health outcomes.
We need a central connection point to link both research and community-based men’s health work, and we need well-resourced men’s health policy guidance.
We must continue efforts to improve gender equality for women. But we should also recognise society’s asymmetric view of equality. There are areas where men can be disadvantaged and deserve focus – for starters, men’s health outcomes are substandard. When one gender is disadvantaged, let’s do something about it (even if they’re men).
John Berry is a trustee of the Men’s Health Trust New Zealand. This week is Men’s Health Week.