World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is an awareness day observed on 10th September every year, in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around the world.

Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and entire countries. It has devastating effect on the people left behind. Every year, more than 800,000 people die by suicide and up to 25 times as many make a suicide attempt.

India accounted for the 1.35 lakh cases which is highest estimated number of suicides in any country of the world , according to a WHO report. Whats even more concerning is the gender divide while committing suicides. The male to female suicide ratio has been about 2.28:1.

Given this grim scenario and no distress center or help for men from Government. A group of NGO’s working for men in India tried to spread awareness on Suicide Prevention Day.

Vaastav Foundation a Mumbai based registered NGO that works primarily to prevent male suicides, provides emotional and moral support to men in distress, specially those who have been at the receiving end of the gender biased laws. They have released a video Live-In : Life-Out to showcase the growing number of married men suicides in India due to gross misuse of women centric gender biased laws.

Another NGO Hridaya – Nest of Family Harmony in association with V Help Foundation organized an awareness march to imbibe sensitivity towards issues of men and highlight the gender bias men face in all walks of life.

Hridaya wants government to make all laws gender neutral. Create a nationwide Mens Commision for adequate representation of males. They also want Men’s ministry to be commissioned on top priority to address all male issues and victimizations of men.

These NGO’s also run SIF One – 09992498498 Helpline for distressed men.