‘Man Deh Yah’

Yarek Hastings was the toast of his friends on Saturday night after being the first among them to be gifted with a blazer and a tie by Minister of State in the Ministry of Cultur e, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Alando Terrelonge, at the International Men’s celebration at the Talk of The Town, The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston.

After helping the youngster to put on the blazer, Terrelonge went on to explain to the 18 schoolboys and other guests that the top button is usually buttoned when worn, with the bottom one opened, and that the manufacturer’s label, usually attached to the sleeve upon purchase, should be removed. He then proceeded to tie a necktie which complemented the blazer and outfit Hastings was wearing.

Seventeen other boys drawn from Camperdown and Haile Selassie high schools and the school operated by the Young Women’s Christian Association in Spanish Town, St Catherine, where 17-year-old Hastings is a 10th-grader, were similarly outfitted during the MentorMe Male Mentorship pairing ceremony.

‘It was a wonderful experience ... a very great moment. This programme is well appreciated,” he shared with The Gleaner afterwards, as his friends teased him and he revelled in the spotlight.

Saturday’s observation of International Men’s Day was dubbed the Blazer and Tie Edition, held under the theme ‘Reigniting a Nation for Greatness: Man Deh Yah’, and is an offshoot of the annual global event celebrated on November 19. It was first observed in Trinidad and Tobago as a day to focus on men’s and boys’ health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role models. It is an occasion for men to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular their contribution to community, family, marriage, and childcare, while highlighting discriminations against them.

The day was celebrated internationally under the theme ‘Helping Men and Boys’. However, according to Terrelonge, ‘Man Deh Yah’ is a phrase adopted locally in sync with the men and masculinity focus of the Policy and Research Unit in the Bureau of Genders Affairs. Throughout the evening, various speakers would ask, “Weh the man dem deh?” and, each time, would be greeted with a resounding shout of “Man Dem Deh Yah!”

Through this phrase, the bureau is looking to drive home the message that men and boys are present in the gender dialogue and going forward, it is intended to be used as a roll call for their physical presence at all activities covered under the men and masculinity focus, and to call for their continuous presence at the gender-equality table.

In his remarks, Terrelonge pointed out that the substantial focus these days on women and girls is commendable and should always be encouraged. However, he added that these efforts should also focus on bettering the lives of young men, and should not be at the expense of anyone being left behind.

“The best society will only be realised when men, women, boys and girls are afforded equal and equitable treatment as their fundamental human right. Therefore, in Jamaica, we need all our men, women, boys and girls to support each other and work together in order to achieve true, sustainable development for our country as a whole.”