Tbf, on women's day men are expected to say "happy women's day" and maybe bring flowers. It's usually also more talked about in the news (at least mentioned).
I'm absolutely aware of the privilege disparities between men and women. I don't care about men's day. But it's quite an objective reality that men's day is less publicized and known. I think it is a bit of gimmick made up by butthurt incels/fragile masculinity anyway. Men's mental health issues are real but one day is not the way to fix them. But the point about it being known and discussed still stands I think.
But like. Why do you think women's day is more well known? Because men popularized it for them? Women popularized it for themselves, so it only makes sense that men's day would be popularized by men.
Fwiw I'm not in a place where men wish a happy women's day, let alone give flowers. Women usually post 'happy women's day' images to group chats of other women.
I suspect women's day (just like mother's day and father's day) led to a spike in sales at business, meaning they embraced it with marketing and special deals.
Men's day is a bit different because like you said, it's not as well known, and also men generally resort to buying gifts more often than most women do for men.
Where I'm from it was publicised by men saying "look how much I care about you that I remembered you exist today". So it started out as a token virtue signal, then luckily evolved in something nicer.
So yeah, we have different experiences around this it seems (and I'm sorry your's shitty one).
I'm truly sorry you are not in an healthy environment. For next year consider writing "women's day" with a nailgun on a misogynist's car door 😁. With a big heart too!
Thank you so much for your concern, I appreciate it! But I'm not in an unhealthy environment! There's usually a feminist march happening on women's day, which I like to attend. I guess it's just culturally a little different. I do like your idea tho, haha
ETA: thinking about it some more, I often hear it called day of the feminist fight instead of women's day, at least in my leftie circles. So I guess my experience is just that it's more about the feminist fight than it is about wholesome appreciation of women. As such, I guess it has less mainstream appeal. It'd be nice to have both, though!
Similar to how mother's Day is up there with Christmas but Father's Day gets mostly ignored.
As a dad you're used to it year after year, being completely unappreciated. And if you complain you get called a misogynist. Men aren't really allowed to vent or talk about their anxieties or mental health issues, if you do you get told that women and everyone have it worse, and invalidate your feelings.
I'm sorry that's your experience, here mother's and father's day are pretty even I guess. Tbh I only see what my kids bring back from school and all the adverts for each day.
I know that men talking about their issues is not welcomed everywhere. If you need to talk and nobody of your friends/family wants to listen it sucks, but you need to reach outside of your inner circle. I've found great people to talk to online on anonymous chats. Simplex.chat has some groups (it's a bit of a pain to find your way through at the beginning and you need to sift through some shit before finding some good people. As in life).
If people around you are shit, change people. It sucks, but you'll be better off in the long run.