If men had equal rights...

A nice op-ed piece by Carey Roberts.

If men had equal rights, what would that look like? Here are just a few examples, for starters.

First, our society will begin to value and respect fatherhood -- and I’m not talking about a Wal-Mart tie on Father’s Day. We will realize that solving many of our most vexing social problems – delinquency, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, and others -- will require recognition of the essential role of fathers in promoting safe and stable families. And in case of divorce, a fit father shouldn’t have to fight a biased legal system so he can stay involved in the lives of his kids.

Second, men will have equal say in matters of reproduction. Currently men are at the mercy of their partners because there is no effective male birth control pill, and because men have no say in decisions about keeping their unborn children.

Third, we will promote equality in health. Currently men die five years sooner than women, and that’s not because of biology. Despite that disparity in life expectancy, the federal government has five offices of women’s health -- but no office for men’s health.

Of course, in Canada, we have a whole government department dedicated just to women.