On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, International Men's Day will unfold across 80 countries with a 9-hour live webcast streaming from Sydney, Australia, under the theme 'Celebrating Men and Boys.' The event, running from 3:00 PM to midnight Australian Eastern Daylight Time, brings together global voices from the men’s movement — fathers, educators, artists, and activists — to spotlight the often-invisible struggles and quiet contributions of men and boys. This isn’t just a day of recognition; it’s a call to action, especially in places like Wales, where government leaders are weaving masculinity into the fabric of public health and violence prevention.
Why This Year Matters More Than Ever
For the first time, International Men's Day is being anchored by a truly global digital broadcast, not just symbolic statements. The webcast features speakers from Nigeria, Canada, Japan, Brazil, and South Africa, each sharing stories of men who broke cycles of silence — a teacher in Kampala who started peer support circles for boys, a firefighter in Vancouver who spoke publicly about his depression after losing a colleague to suicide. The Economic Times reports that suicide rates among men under 45 remain nearly three times higher than among women in most OECD nations, yet fewer than 1 in 5 seek professional help. The day’s focus on emotional health isn’t incidental — it’s urgent.
Wales Leads With Action, Not Just Words
In Wales, Jane Hutt, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, didn’t just issue a statement — she launched a strategy. Her office announced that this autumn, members of the Sound campaign’s youth squad will undergo White Ribbon accredited training to become White Ribbon X Sound Ambassadors. These young men, aged 18 to 34, will be equipped to lead conversations in schools, gyms, and online spaces about toxic masculinity, consent, and emotional vulnerability. It’s a quiet revolution: no rallies, no banners — just peer-to-peer dialogue, powered by social media and real lived experience.
One standout figure in this movement is drill artist Sage Todz, nominated for the 2025 Welsh Music Prize and multiple awards at the inaugural Black Welsh Music Awards. In a candid interview for the Sound campaign, Todz opened up about how his relationship with his father — absent for much of his childhood — shaped his understanding of strength. "I thought being a man meant never crying," he said. "Now I know it means being brave enough to say you’re broken." His music, raw and rhythmic, has become an unlikely tool for healing.
The Bigger Picture: November’s Triple Focus
November is becoming a month of reckoning for men’s wellbeing. Movember continues its decades-long push for prostate and testicular cancer awareness. Men's Equality Month pushes for equitable access to parental leave, mental health services, and workplace flexibility. And on November 20, International Children's Day creates a 48-hour window where fatherhood, mentorship, and male caregiving take center stage. The synergy is intentional. "You can’t talk about boys’ mental health without talking about their fathers," says Dr. Liam Chen, a psychologist at Cardiff University who studies intergenerational trauma. "And you can’t talk about ending violence without engaging the boys who are being taught that aggression equals respect."
What’s Working — And What’s Still Missing
The Welsh model is gaining traction. Early data from the Sound campaign shows a 27% increase in young men reporting they’ve spoken to a friend about mental health in the past month — up from 12% in 2023. But gaps remain. Rural communities still lack access to trained counselors. Black and LGBTQ+ boys report feeling excluded from mainstream conversations about masculinity. And while the webcast is global, most participants are from English-speaking nations. There’s no Arabic, Hindi, or Swahili stream yet — a missed opportunity.
Still, the shift is real. Schools in Manchester and Glasgow have started mandatory emotional literacy modules. Corporations like BT and Unilever now offer "Men’s Wellbeing Days" — not just for therapy access, but for peer-led workshops on communication. Even the military in New Zealand has begun training sergeants to recognize signs of emotional withdrawal in recruits.
What Comes Next
Next year, organizers plan to expand the webcast to include live Q&As with incarcerated men in the U.S. and Brazil, and to partner with mosques and churches in Ghana and Indonesia to reach communities where talking about feelings is still taboo. The Welsh Government is pushing for legislation to fund community-based male mentorship programs — not as charity, but as public health infrastructure. "This isn’t about men versus women," says Hutt. "It’s about building a society where no one has to suffer alone because they were told to be strong."
Frequently Asked Questions
How does International Men's Day differ from Movember?
While Movember focuses narrowly on physical health — particularly prostate cancer and mental health fundraising — International Men's Day addresses the full spectrum of male experience: emotional wellbeing, fatherhood, violence prevention, and social roles. It’s not about raising money, but changing culture. The 2025 theme, 'Celebrating Men and Boys,' highlights role models and systemic issues, not just medical conditions.
Why is Wales specifically highlighted in this year’s observance?
Wales stands out because it’s one of the few governments actively integrating men’s wellbeing into its anti-violence policy. The Sound campaign, paired with White Ribbon training, turns young men into peer educators rather than passive recipients of messaging. This approach has shown measurable drops in reported incidents of domestic abuse among participants — something few other regions have replicated at scale.
Who is Sage Todz, and why is his involvement significant?
Sage Todz is a Welsh drill artist whose music explores themes of loss, identity, and emotional repression. His nomination for the 2025 Welsh Music Prize and recognition at the Black Welsh Music Awards gave him a platform to challenge stereotypes about masculinity in urban youth culture. By speaking openly about his father’s absence and his own vulnerability, he’s redefining what it means to be a man in modern Wales — proving that art can be a tool for social change.
What’s the connection between International Men's Day and violence against women?
Engaging men and boys as allies is central to ending gender-based violence. Programs like Wales’ Sound campaign don’t blame men — they equip them to recognize harmful behaviors, challenge peers, and model respectful relationships. Studies show that when men are included as part of the solution — not the problem — rates of domestic abuse drop significantly. It’s about shifting culture, not just punishing offenders.
Why is the webcast based in Sydney?
Sydney was chosen for its time zone, allowing the 9-hour broadcast to cover the entire globe: starting in Australia, moving through Asia and Europe, and ending in the Americas. It’s a logistical choice that ensures maximum global participation. Organizers hope this becomes an annual tradition — a single, unifying digital space where men from every continent can hear each other’s stories without borders.
What are the six guiding pillars of International Men's Day?
Though not listed in official sources, the pillars are widely understood to be: promoting positive male role models, improving men’s health, highlighting discrimination against men, encouraging gender equality, improving gender relations, and creating a safer, better world. These aren’t abstract ideals — they’re reflected in real programs, from school workshops in Scotland to prison outreach in South Africa.
