The Patriarchy Doesn’t Serve Anyone
Trigger warning. Suicide & drug abuse.
We criticise systems, not individuals, the patriarchy doesn’t serve anyone.
First up, what the heck is the patriarchy?
We don’t believe the patriarchy is actually serving anyone. The huge amount of data demonstrating the gender gap in mental health problems and suicide rates illustrates the fact that there is a systemic issue.
We’ve rounded up some headlines from Men’s Health Forum. Buckle up, it’s a bleak and frightening read.
Just over three out of four suicides (76 percent) are by men and suicide is the biggest cause of death for men under 35 (Reference: ONS)
Men are nearly three times more likely than women to become alcohol dependent (8.7 percent of men are alcohol dependent compared to 3.3 percent of women - Health and Social Care Information Centre)
Men are more likely to use (and die from) illegal drugs
Men are less likely to access psychological therapies than women. Only 36 percent of referrals to IAPT (Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies) are men
One man in 5 dies before he is 65
Men report significantly lower life satisfaction than women in the Government’s national well-being survey – with those aged 45 to 59 reporting the lowest levels of life satisfaction (Reference: ONS)
73 percent of adults who ‘go missing’ are men (Reference: University of York)
87 percent of rough sleepers are men (Reference: Crisis)
Men are three times as likely to report frequent drug use than women (4.2 percent and 1.4 percent respectively) and more than two thirds of drug-related deaths occur in men (Reference: Information Centre)
Men make up 95 percent of the prison population (Reference: House of Commons Library). 72 percent of male prisoners suffer from two or more mental disorders (Reference: Social Exclusion Unit)
Men are nearly 50 percent more likely than women to be detained and treated compulsorily as psychiatric inpatients (Reference: Information Centre)
Men have measurably lower access to the social support of friends, relatives and community (References: R. Boreham and D. Pevalin)
Men commit 86 percent of violent crime (and are twice as likely to be victims of violent crime) (Reference: ONS)
Boys are around three times more likely to receive a permanent or fixed period exclusion than girls (Reference: Gov.uk)
Boys are performing less well than girls at all levels of education. In 2013 only 55.6 percent of boys achieved 5 or more grade A*-C GCSEs including English and mathematics, compared to 65.7 percent of girls (Reference: Department for Education)
Whilst we acknowledge we don’t have the solutions to fixing any of the above issues, we remain optimistic that creating a space where people can be their authentic selves can provide a relief for people who are otherwise shackled by patriarchal expectations.
We welcome anyone who wants to lift themselves up outside the patriarchy, to join our rides
Stay safe out there and if we don’t see you online, we’ll see you on the trails.
Helplines if you are affected by any of the above issues
Samaritans. To talk about anything that is upsetting you, you can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call 116 123 (free from any phone), email jo@samaritans.org or visit some branches in person. You can also call the Samaritans Welsh Language Line on 0808 164 0123 (7pm–11pm every day).
SANEline. If you're experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day).
National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK. Offers a supportive listening service to anyone with thoughts of suicide. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652 (open 24/7).
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). You can call the CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) if you are struggling and need to talk. Or if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you could try the CALM webchat service.
Switchboard. If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am–10pm every day), email chris@switchboard.lgbt or use their webchat service. Phone operators all identify as LGBT+.
