International Men’s Day 2025 ‘Supporting Men and Boys’
How often can we remember picking up a story when we were younger and reading about fearless men – adventurers, pioneers, explorers and warriors? Men and boys are often depicted as powerful, emotionally restrained and in control. From early texts featuring Odysseus and Beowulf, through colonial adventures showcasing brave men conquering ‘foreign lands’, boys’ stories have tended to follow a familiar template: a series of trials and challenges that forge a “real man”, usually involving duty, self-sacrifice and suppressing emotion.
Is this the world that we want books to show us nowadays? What if you are a boy who doesn’t feel fearless? A man that doesn’t feel strong? Or what about men and boys that are simply human beings- vulnerable, caring, uncertain, imaginative, joyful, quiet, bold, or sensitive in different ways? Readers of this blog will understand the power of books; they offer escape and insight and they help us understand ourselves and others. If stories shape expectations, then the stories we share with and about boys matter enormously. We need stories that celebrate a range of ways to be a man or a boy – that foster empathy, self-awareness, and healthier relationships.
International Men’s Day in the UK focusses this year on Supporting Men and Boys. Equimundo and Beyond Equality’s recently published State of UK Men 2025 report contains a detailed account of life for men in the UK today, which shows in rich detail why this matters. For example, 91% of men and women say that “being a friend” is central to being a man today. Yet nearly two-thirds of men surveyed feel they have to look out for themselves because no one else will.
These insights tell us something important. Men and boys are seeking a version of masculinity that does not reject characteristics like stoicism and bravery – but integrates them with other traits to create a much richer vision of masculinity than popular culture (including many books) often offers. Friendship, kindness, loyalty and emotional strength are not softer alternatives – they are courageous acts of connection. Being a good friend is brave. Asking for help is brave. Standing with others is brave.
