Page 5462 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
It is very important for me, as a wife and a mother of sons, that we give permission to the men in our lives to be more in tune with their feelings, to be more in tune with their health and to deal with the real issues. I know my son Tom is a regular supporter of Movember, and I congratulate him and all the young men who take part in this event. I think it is a way not only of raising good and needed funds but of raising awareness amongst a new generation that it is okay, and not only okay but very important, that we take stock of our health.
My colleague Mr Hanson will give you the hard facts and the stats about the men’s health issues I have already mentioned. What I want to do now is mention some of the support services that are available to men. First of all, of course, is Movember itself. It is a global campaign that actually gets men to talk about the serious subject of their health and the medical challenges that are unique to men. It does this by making fun of, and having fun with, the most manly of achievements, blokes being able to grow facial hair. The Movember website, of course, sums it up quite nicely when it says:
Men sporting Movember moustaches, known as Mo Bros, become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November and through their actions and words raise awareness by promoting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.
It is often the case that you see a colleague or a friend who is suddenly growing a moustache, with varying degrees of success, at this time of the year and that does lead to a conversation about the importance of men’s health that comes from that very public reminder. It goes on to say:
Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo growing efforts …
According to the Movember website, the money raised is channelled into men’s health partners for a number of world-class and innovative education, research and awareness initiatives. More than $21 million was raised in Australia alone in 2009 to advance these causes.
One of the most significant partners of Movember is beyondblue, the national depression initiative. Beyondblue’s mission is:
… to provide a national focus and community leadership to increase the capacity of the broader Australian community to prevent depression and to respond effectively.
Their aim is:
… to build a society that understands and responds to the personal and social impact of depression, works actively to prevent it, and improves the quality of life for everyone affected.
Beyondblue has an extraordinary website, packed full of information and programs and is an easy way for some of those perhaps not-so-tough or bulletproof blokes to get in there and quietly check things out.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video