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Research shows men enforce a rigid ideal of how they should be.
Referred to as The Man Box - it is built upon seven pillars, which are; self sufficiency, acting tough, physical attractiveness, rigid masculine gendered roles, hyper sexuality, heterosexuality and homophobia and lastly aggression and control. The graphic depicts and explains these in more detail.

Men are three times more likely than women to end their own lives.
In Ireland the Samaritans have found these ideals overlap with the risk of male suicide. Challenges of mid-life, personality traits, emotional illiteracy, relationship breakdown, socio-economic factors and personality are all risk factors for suicide.

The Samaritan report mentions the group most at risk of suicide are men, in the lowest social class, in their mid-years.

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Young women and girls are expected to wear skirts. Described as ritualised “girling”, this practice upholds gender norms. Skirt-wearing contribute significantly to the regulation of girls and gendered performance.

Social media also contributes to negative body image, as many as 9 out 10 teenage girls are unhappy with their body image (Royal Society for Public Health, 2007).

A women’s worth is based on how she looks and her body is commodified. Men and women receive different types of aggression online. Research indicates women are often more harmed by  online bullying and comments and are victims of revenge porn.
One in three women and one in four men being victims of sexual violence in their lifetime in Ireland (RCNI, 2020). Sexual violence is also gendered crime, which is predominantly perpetrated by boys/men against girls/women.

The video illustrates and depicts the emphasis placed on women to present themselves as objects in media and how this causes significant physical and sexual violence, social and emotional harm. It cause women to doubt their own self-image and self-worth. It went viral and received worldwide attention in the media.

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#IStandUp Against the Harm Caused By Objectification of Women in Advertising

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Show your support by posting your own #IStandUp video. Film yourself standing up with the caption: #IStandUp against the objectification of women and the harm it causes. #WomenNotObjects Then tag your friends to stand up too. http://womennotobjects.com/ Twitter: @Not_Objects Instagram: @WomenNotObjects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/womennotobjects

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This video illustrates how women experience the gender health gap. Key findings are women’s health research was historically limited to their reproductive capacity, this has changed to some extent. Today, women are more likely to experience side effects from drugs as drug trials were conducted on men. Differential care for women exists; pain for example is not treated as aggressively compared to men, issues presented are often treated as psychological. Women often have limited access and often must travel distances to receive appropriate specialised care for their needs.

Ireland until recently, had oppressive abortion laws which violated their human rights and dignity (Amnesty, 2016). Traditionally women in Ireland had to travel to the UK for abortion services. Lastly a disproportionate amount of women are affected by domestic violence and sexual assault and accordingly need specific services to respond to these needs (RCNI, 2020).

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Closing the Gap: Addressing Gender Inequities in Healthcare

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Amnesty International Ireland. (2016, June 9). Ireland’s ban on abortion violates human rights – ground-breaking UN ruling. Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/06/irelands-ban-on-abortion-violates-human-rights/

Brennan, S. (2020, October 28). Medical gaslighting: The women not listened to or viewed as overdramatising or catastrophising. The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/medical-gaslighting-the-women-not-listened-to-or-viewed-as-overdramatising-or-catastrophising-1.4386203

Costello, N., Ward, M., O’Mahoney, P., & Kenny, R. A. (2021). In Their Own Words: The Voices of Older Irish People in the COVID-19 Pandemic. TILDA. https://doi.org/10.38018/tildare.2021-04

Donnelly, K. (2021). Teachers ‘fear for job prospects if they reveal LGBT identity’. [online] independent. Available at: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/teachers-fear-for-job-prospects-if-they-reveal-lgbt-identity-40286877.html.

Demystifying Medicine McMaster. (2022, August 17). Closing the Gap: Addressing Gender Inequities in Healthcare. www.youtube.com. https://youtu.be/Z5IPshBl06Y

Department of Health Australia. (2022, May 23). Healthy Male. www.youtube.com; Healthy Male. https://youtu.be/l3RwvTwelFo

Falvey, D. (2020, September 12). Why do we force girls to wear skirts to school? The Irish Times; The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/why-do-we-force-girls-to-wear-skirts-to-school-1.4343921

Happel, A. (2013). Ritualized girling: school uniforms and the compulsory performance of gender. Journal of Gender Studies, 22(1), 92–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2012.745680

Health Service Executive. (2022, June 14). Men’s Health Week 2022. HSE.ie. https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/mental-health-services/connecting-for-life/news/men-s-health-week-2022.html

Institute of Public Health. (2021). Men’s Health – encouraging men to check back in to a healthier future. Institute of Public Health. https://publichealth.ie/mens-health-encouraging-men-to-check-back-in-to-a-healthier-future/

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Jesuit Social Services. (2018). Unpacking the man box. The Men’s Project.

https://jss.org.au/what-we-do/the-mens-project/unpacking-the-man-box/

Kerrigan, D., & Bryant, J. (2016). How sex and gender influence health and disease. National Institute of Health. https://orwh.od.nih.gov/sites/orwh/files/docs/SexGenderInfographic_11x17_508.pdf

Mayer, D. M. (2018, October 8). How Men Get Penalized for Straying from Masculine Norms. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2018/10/how-men-get-penalized-for-straying-from-masculine-norms

Mullan, E. (2022). Sociology of Health Lecture Notes. SETU

Nadim, M., & Fladmoe, A. (2019). Silencing Women? Gender and Online Harassment. Social Science Computer Review, 39(2), 089443931986551. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439319865518

One Family. (2020). Facts & Figures – One Family Ireland. Onefamily.ie; One Family. https://onefamily.ie/media-policy/facts-figures/

Rape Crisis Network Ireland. (2020). RCNI Rape Crisis Statistics. In Rape Crisis Network Ireland. Rape Crisis Network Ireland. https://www.rcni.ie/wp-content/uploads/RCNI-Rape-Crisis-Statistics-2020-FINAL.pdf

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Royal Society for Public Health. (2007). Social media and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Royal Society for Public Health.

Irish Business Employeers Confederation. (2020). Binge drinking - Drinks Ireland. [online] Available at: https://www.ibec.ie/drinksireland/news-insights-and-events/insights/2021/02/25/binge-drinking [Accessed 10 Oct. 2022]

Samaritans. (2012). Men and Suicide: Why it’s a social issue. In Samaritans. Samaritans. https://www.samaritans.org/documents/16/men-suicide-society-samaritans-2012.pdf

Scomparin, A. (2019, March 25). HR Life: gender stereotypes in the business - Interlogica. Interlogica. https://www.interlogica.it/en/insight-en/gender-stereotypes/

The Economic and Social Research Institute. (2020, November 4). Prof Helen Russell - Gender Pay Gap: Causes and Solutions. www.youtube.com; The Economic and Social Research Institute. https://youtu.be/RgoXLCDfvP0

Ward, S. (1995). Service chiefs tell judges gay ban must stay. [online] The Independent. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/service-chiefs-tell-judges-gay-ban-must-stay-1577000.html [Accessed 10 Oct. 2022].

Women Not Objects. (2016, March 18). #IStandUp Against the Harm Caused By Objectification of Women in Advertising. www.youtube.com; Women Not Objects. https://youtu.be/1O4ycTml7fk

Women's Health Research at Yale. (2012, April 9). Do Gender Differences Matter in Health Outcomes? www.youtube.com; Women’s Health Research at Yale. https://youtu.be/r0CCS5mLvEQ

World Health Organization. (2019). Gender and health. World Health Organization; World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/gender#tab=tab_1

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86.4% of one parent families are headed by a mother, and 13.6% by a father. These households experience significant deprivation and poverty. Those living in households with one adult have the highest deprivation rate in 2021 at 44.9%. This is up from 44.1% in 2020 (OneFamily, 2020).

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This video from the Economic and Social Research Institute discusses the pay gap, which disadvantages women.
It covers the  topics of individual differences, discrimination, low pay for female-dominated roles and the glass ceilings and sticky floors women encounter. This very much underpins the module content covered in the course including;

·      Women experience greater financial inequality

·      Experience a gender pay gap with less cash and resources

·      Have expectation to be a carer

·      Cultural norms and roles create multiple expectations

·      Lack confidence in putting themselves forward

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Prof Helen Russell - Gender Pay Gap: Causes and Solutions

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Evidence shows men take more health risks and adopt unhealthy behaviours such as smoking and binge drinking.

There is a clear gender divide when it comes to alcohol consumption – 19% women and 54% men binge drink here in Ireland. Binge drinking levels are highest among younger men however, a consistent level of over half of men continue to binge drink later in life (IBEC, 2020)

Men are more likely to be obese or overweight and are less likely to engage with healthcare services here in Ireland

In 2019 68% of men in Ireland had visited a GP compared with 82% of women (Institute of Public Health, 2021). TILDA research during the Covid-19 pandemic showed more than one in four older men in Ireland  delayed medical treatment further than women (TILDA, 2021).

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Men desire masculinity and avoid femininity.
Alcohol, including binge drinking is used to assert masculinity and to 'fit in'. Men also practice unsafe sex more readily than women.

Research indicates men who show vulnerability, femininity, express sadness, kindness and empathy range can expect to be punished or viewed less favourably in work. Being gay was legitimate grounds for dismissal from employment and a threat to morale and discipline (Ward, 1995). Today concerns about being out at work still persist (Donnelly, 2021). Men who do not doing gender correctly also face bullying, violence and isolation.

Barriers to accessing healthcare include;
Perceiving healthcare as feminine
Fear of a loss of identity i.e. worry about not being 'manly' enough
Men often lack information and are slow to get health information
They also fear confronting a health concern - often they go into denial.

The video attached illustrates the barriers and efforts by a Department of Health in Australia to challenge this thinking. There are similar strategies here in Ireland to get men to access healthcare services (HSE, 2022).

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Genetics, hormones, and physiology influence health for both sexes.The attached infographic from the National Institutes of Health – Office of Research on Women’s Health illustrates this.

Women have increased likelihood of osteoporosis, depression and autoimmune diseases. They are twice as likely to experience depression and get the wrong diagnosis for cardiovascular issues.

Men  have a high risk of coronary heart disease, parkinson’s, autism and schizophrenia.

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This video explains why research into women's health at Yale is relevant and vital. It explains some of the health risks women face, i.e., for women who smoke - they are more likely to develop diseases as a consequence to men. They also find it harder to quit. Many women have concerns about gaining weight and being more stressed as barriers to quitting.

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Do Gender Differences Matter in Health Outcomes?

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A social construct which is hierarchical and produces inequalities.

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Women lack decision-making power and experience discriminatory attitudes from healthcare providers. Examples of this include medical gaslighting; where reports of ill health are not taken seriously.
Women are also framed to be inferior, sicker and more in need of treatment. There are implicit biases in healthcare evident in Ireland, this means that healthcare practitioners are not aware of their own implicit biases and how this leads to differential treatment and responses, consequently this can also lead to severe outcomes.

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Both sexes experience health differently

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Both sexes experience health differently

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There is assumed stereotypes for women and men. This infographic from a human resource website illustrates these stereotypes.