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Taking place on Friday 19 November, the aim is to make a positive difference to the wellbeing and lives of men and boys by raising awareness and promoting a positive conversation about men, manhood and masculinity.

Last year we held a cross-company conversation between colleagues in Australia and the UK, where we learned that some subjects are best discussed. However, many of us men still don’t talk openly enough about difficult subjects.

One of these topics is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); a mental health condition caused by a traumatic experience. This has been notable in the response to discussions we’ve held internally on the recent withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the impact that this has had on returning personnel or indeed those among us from previous deployments.

To support our drive to talk more openly about sensitive topics, including PTSD, we have been hosting a number of inclusive, internal events for International Men’s Day to discuss men’s mental health and wellbeing, and the role of men in an inclusive world. We have also been sharing personal stories and experiences to help highlight the social issues and pressures that men and boys face, connect with one another and take positive steps towards combating these issues.

As the sponsor of QinetiQ’s Gender Balance Group, this International Men’s Day I would like to encourage you to think about some of the unique pressures that our colleagues, customers and partners are under; how we can challenge some of the preconceptions of ‘male-ness’ and ’masculinity’; and how we can recognise when help is needed, where we can go for it, or how to direct others towards areas for support.