Calling all men: feminism can save your life

The BBC has revealed that, since last year, the gender pay gapA pay gap is different from unequal pay. Unequal pay when women earn less than men for doing the same work. A pay gap can be caused by factors such as having fewer women in senior or high-paying roles. has increased in 40% of private companies in the UK. Those with a wider gap include Npower and Virgin Atlantic. The shock findings highlight the continued inequality faced by women. But a more equal society could benefit men too. For example, men tend to die earlier than women. It is just biology? Last year, then World Health Organisation (WHO) published a report arguing that men's early deaths are, in fact, tied to gender inequality. As societies become more equal, the life expectancyThe number of years that a person can expect to live. gap between men and women gets narrower. In Iceland, which was rated the best in Europe for gender equality, women outlive men by just three years. By contrast, in Russia men die on average almost 11 years earlier than women. But why? "Men (more than women) tend to cope with their problems and dilemmas by taking refuge in addictions," write the researchers. But the effect diminishes as women become more equal in society. Ideas of traditional masculinity are strong in Eastern Europe. Nowhere more so than Russia. Here, the report found that heavy drinking "elevates or maintains a man's status in working-class social groups". Shockingly, 25% of Russian men die before they are 55, with most deaths due to alcohol. Russian and Georgian men are also then most likely to smoke, while men from Iceland smoke the least. Part of the problem, the researchers argue, is that societies with traditional gender roles expect men to be "breadwinners". Studies show that men who are the main financial provider are more likely to suffer from health problems. But the picture goes deeper. In the UK, men are being encouraged to discuss mental health as a way to lower suicide rates. In Western Europe, there are 12 suicides per 100,000 men. In Russia, it is almost 50 per 100,000. "Gender... is one of the most important sociocultural factors influencing health," the WHO concluded. Is feminismCalling for women's rights with the aim of achieving gender equality. good for men? Of course, say some. Traditional masculinity puts immense pressure on men to hide their feelings, work long hours to provide for their family, indulge in reckless behaviour as one of the "lads", and to generally "man up". This creates a culture where men are unable to admit to stress or feelings of inadequacy and so turn to unhealthy lifestyles or even suicide. Don't be so sure, respond others. Correlation is not causation, and gender inequality is just one symptom of the real problems in these societies. Countries with greater gender inequality also tend to be more autocraticRelating to a ruler with total power., have a poorer quality of life and lack protections for workers. It's naive to pin the problems caused by complex social and economic problems on masculinity. Q & A What do we know? Across all societies, men on average die before women. When suffering from stress, men are more likely to turn to alcohol, smoking and drugs. Men are likely to exercise less than women. While women have higher rates of depression, men are three times more likely to kill themselves, and when men get ill, they are less likely to see a doctor. Additionally, more young men die in vehicle accidents than any other group. What do we not know? Whether the causes behind men dying earlier are biological or social. After looking at social and medical differences across Europe, the WHO concluded that men in unequal societies are more likely to take part in unhealthy behaviours and die young, and part of the reason for that may be to do with the traditional masculine roles built into their lives.KeywordsPay gap - A pay gap is different from unequal pay. Unequal pay when women earn less than men for doing the same work. A pay gap can be caused by factors such as having fewer women in senior or high-paying roles.