Fighting for male equality

In a intriguing twist on gender politics, an Ottawa-based think-tank is urging Canadians to start thinking about male inequality.

"Men and boys are the forgotten casualty in gender warfare," says a 12-page report from the Institute of Marriage and Family, released Wednesday. Titled "The Status of Men; Boys are Lagging" the document encourages greater reverance for marriage -- an institution it condtends helps men to prosper in modern-day society.

The report by Andrea Mrozek, the institute's manager of research and communication, asserts that married men "earn more money, enjoy greater health benefits and have connectivity with the long-term future."

She laments that a feminist narrative has lately prevailed which, along with new forms of birth control, have led to freer sex outside marriage and fewer marriages. "The tradition of feminist disdain for  marriage and men is long and deep," she writes.

Whether or not you buy into her theory about marriage being the antidote for the troubled male condition, it's hard to argue with the notion that men are having a tough time these days.

As the report points out: three women for every two men are attending universities -- 59 per cent of undergrads are women; rates of suicide are four times as high for men; and more men than women have lost jobs in the recent recession. 

The report, at the very least, provides a good starting point for a lively discussion about the pros and cons of getting married. Read it at: http:/www.imfcanada.org/issues/status-men