A group of lawmakers have proposed that Ukraine should recognize International Men's Day as an official holiday, according to a bill they submitted to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, on Nov. 20.

"This day is not intended to compete with International Women's Day, but to highlight the importance of men's physical and mental health," the bill's explanatory note said.

The bill was submitted by lawmakers Mariia Mezentseva, Oleksandr Merezhko, Olena Vintoniak, and Serhii Svets from President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People party, and Sehii Shvets, who represents the liberal Holos party.

They hope that recognizing International Men's Day every year on Nov. 19 will help to spread awareness of specific issues that men face and allow for discussion on topics such as mental health, violence, and alcohol abuse.  

The lawmakers also hope that the official recognition of the day will "contribute to the development and implementation of programs to prevent these problems."

Both Malta and Trinidad and Tobago claim to have established International Men's Day in the 1990s.

International Women's Day on March 8 is widely celebrated in Ukraine.

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The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko