By Bailey G.
As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, men have been ordered to remain and help fight while women and children flee the nation. It has been mentioned that every male between the age of eighteen and sixty must remain in the nation. Why is this allowed? With no disrespect but women are always displayed as wanting equality, they want what men have had all these years but when it comes to times of crisis why is it only men that must serve? I understand that this military conscription is in place but is this really gender equality? Men and women should be required to participate. Men have been separated from their families at the border and on trains attempting to flee the nation. This is extremely heartbreaking and no one should have to go through the pain of seeing their family go uncertain when and if they will ever see each other again. Even if men are traveling with their own children, they still can’t cross the border. This shows how much is against men. They can’t leave the nation under any circumstance and remain with the worry about what has happened to their families. Throughout the article, multiple images are provided that display women crying after leaving their husbands and a large group of people all around the border. These images make the crisis appear extremely important and dangerous. This is a good thing because it’s displaying to the world that people are suffering and we should take this seriously and possibly do something to help. Anyone who is faced with these types of situations must have some intense feelings and they should be able to express them. This reminds me of the Mythopoetic men, which was a masculinist men group. The movement aimed to foster men’s personal growth and bonding in all-male gatherings. At the male gatherings, men would discuss their feelings and let out what they must. Men can be emotionally alive, sensitive, and strong at the same time is another belief that the Mythopoetic men had and I believe that as well. It honestly takes a strong man to let out his feelings and cry because the norm in today’s society is that men must show no emotion. There is also the mention of a forty-seven-year-old man and his being unable to leave the nation has his elderly mother worried. The mother was interviewed and mentioned how she was trembling and couldn’t calm down because she was unable to remain in contact with him due to the terrible connection line. This is another example that displays the seriousness of the situation. Even though the man is forty-seven, in his mother’s eyes he is and always will be her little child. Just imagine how many mothers and fathers have to endure the thought that their son must be left behind and participate in a war. Just the thought of that can be a parent’s worst nightmare but it gets worse because there is also the possibility that their son might be killed and never return. The article can make you feel sympathy for those affected by this. There are also images of mothers with their children and children alone after fleeing Ukraine. In these images, the women are shown crying while the few men do appear worried. It’s as if the men are the ones who need to hold it all in and not say much. This reminds me of the NOMAS organization which is a profeminist group. Workshops hosted by Noma guide men in becoming more expressive and feeling. Men in today’s society are under much pressure; they can’t be expected to just tough it out. Overall, I believe we need more media like this because this goes against the cultural norm, it discusses multiple different aspects of how men are affected due to the crisis. Their families are being separated from them. Family is the treasure in many men’s lives and to have that taken away is heartbreaking. Not just that but they are also participating in an effort that can result in death. They leave their families behind, imagine how it would feel to find out a loved one is gone. They will have to endure that for the rest of their lives. The article could have provided more statistics on how many men are being required to remain in Ukraine, it simply just states that men between the ages of eighteen and sixty must remain.