21/06/2026
Good day everyone,
Today, on Father’s Day, we take a moment to honour fathers, father figures, and the quiet strength many men bring to their families and communities. It is a day to celebrate love, sacrifice, guidance, and the often unseen work of raising children and holding homes together.
As Men in Health Organisation, we must also speak honestly about the missed opportunities in how men are portrayed in our stories and in our society. In the movie Polygamy, there was a chance to explore the deeper realities of men’s lives — their struggles, their responsibilities, their emotional burdens, and their desire to love and provide. Instead, the portrayal risks reducing men to stereotypes, overlooking the humanity, care, and complexity that many fathers carry every day.
This matters because fatherhood is not just about presence in a household. It is about influence, character, and the emotional foundation a father helps build in a child’s life. Children who grow up under the care of loving and responsible fathers often gain confidence, discipline, stability, and a stronger sense of identity. A father’s love can shape how a child sees themselves and how they relate to the world.
Yet, sadly, there are children who fail to appreciate the love of their fathers until it is too late. Some only begin to understand the value of a father when they are older, after the sacrifices, discipline, and protection have already gone unrecognized. This is why we must continue to teach that fatherhood matters — not only socially, but emotionally and psychologically as well.
The film missed an opportunity to show that men are not only providers or authority figures. They are also nurturers, protectors, mentors, and human beings with feelings and pain. If we want healthier families and stronger communities, we must tell stories that reflect the full dignity of men and the importance of their role in child upbringing.
On this Father’s Day, Men in Health Organisation calls for greater respect for fathers, greater understanding of men’s mental and emotional health, and more responsible storytelling in our media. Let us appreciate the fathers who show up, who sacrifice, who guide, and who love without always being thanked.
Happy Father’s Day to all fathers and fathers.
