The Minister for Men is a proposed government office in the United Kingdom. It is part of a broader "men's rights" movement. There have been Ministers for Women since 1997, and a Minister for Children since 2001. Supporters point to this disparity (there has never been a Minister for Men) to justify the proposal. For example, Lord Northbourne, who made the first Parliamentary call for a Minister for Men in 2004, told the BBC that "f the government feels they need a minister to address women's issues, it should be the same for men." Northbourne's proposal was put to the Prime Minister during PMQs the same year.
Since Northbourne's proposal, there have been occasional lobbying efforts by UK citizens, arguing that men face inequality within the UK and that the government should accordingly appoint a Minister for Men. In 2008, Theresa May, the Shadow Minister for Women, was asked whether she thought there should be a Minister for Men. May replied was she is Shadow Minister for Women and Equality, and that she is fighting for fairness for everyone, not just women. She said that she thought it is important for women to have representation, and said she did not believe that it should be at the expense of men.
|
