Do Shanghai men need their own special day?

Although August 3 is known more for the heat it brings than any international holiday, in Shanghai that might be changing as the city’s men (and the women that love them) celebrate the unofficial “Men’s Day”.

In an online survey done by Shanghai Hotline asking “Do men need a holiday for themselves?”, 80.24 percent of respondents said “yes,” with many insisting that “Shanghai men are tired and men deserve a holiday.” Some 10.56 percent said they have no opinion on the day and 9.2 percent said that “it’s not necessary because there’s no historical background for Men’s Day.”

On International Women’s Day (March 8), all women in China, who account for 45 percent of the work force, get a mandatory half day off from their employer. Men currently have no such holiday. 

Discount on Men’s Day

Men’s Day is not a new concept in Shanghai. The holiday was proposed to city officials several years ago without much success, but that hasn't stopped some Shanghainese from celebrating it.

It’s the same as Father’s Day and Mother’s Day. Moreover, we should get half a day off on from work as well on International Men’s Day.

— Mr Chan

Shopping mall No.1 Babaiban in Pudong hosted an event aiming to promote the idea “August 3 International Men’s Day” last year. It was introduced by men’s activists  as a day not only to release men’s stress, but also a day for society as a whole to show men that they care. Considering Shanghai men are known for their housework and carrying women’s purses, some appreciation seems warranted. The mall showed its support by giving men mall-wide discounts.

This year, No. 1 Babaiban is carrying an “International Men’s Day” discount. Men who spend RMB 300 or more get a coupon worth of RMB 180 for their next trip.

As the holiday gains (commercial) success, stores and malls around Shanghai are joining in the celebrations. However, do local guys appreciate the attention?

Local views

Mr. Chan, an employee in a Shanghai real estate company is among the day’s supporters. “It’s a good idea,” he says. “Men nowadays are under great pressure, so we need a holiday to let off steam."

When asked what men could do on Men’s Day, Mr Chan says, “We can do things only for men, like going to a boxing club to bring out the bloody and hooligan side of ourselves.”

Sounds like a recipe for a Shanghai Fight Club to us. (Read here about Club Hero, Shanghai’s best known mixed martial arts club.)

Mr. Dong, an employee in a foreign company here, agrees with Mr Chan on the need for a day dedicated to men. “It’s necessary to set up this Men’s Day because of the existence of Women’s Day,” he says. “It’s the same as Father’s Day and Mother’s Day. Moreover, we should get half a day off on from work as well on International Men’s Day.”

Of course, opponents do exist. Mr Ye, a freelance writer, doesn’t see the need. ”It seems stupid to have this day which is the opposite of March 8, there’s nothing to celebrate, we’re just creating another random holiday,” he says.

Interestingly enough, few men talk about the issues faced by men and women in the work force in China as a reason to have a holiday. According to the Shanghai Daily, in 2009 the Center for Women's Law and Legal Services of Peking University surveyed 3,000 women over the course of a year about their work environment. They found that one in four women was denied a job due to gender, with a quarter of those surveyed reporting that they were forced to sign labor contracts containing clauses forbidding them to get married or pregnant in a set period of time. Some 28 percent said, “Employers set different criteria in recruitment and women had to perform much better than their male peers in interviews to get the same job.”

Additionally, more than one-third of the respondents believed their male colleagues had a greater possibility of promotion.