Never miss Bristol news again - sign up to receive our newsletter straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A campaign to lobby central government to create a special ministerial post to look out for the interest of men has sparked a debate online.

It comes after a poster advocating a need for a 'Minister for Men' was spotted in Bath.

The anonymous advert claims there is “something wrong in the balance of fairness between the sexes” and “men and boys have become second class citizens”, the Bath Chronicle reports.

The flyer invites people who “share similar views” to join them at a monthly meeting – with mothers and grandmothers “particularly welcome”.

The Government Equalities Office - which is home to the Department for Women and Equalities - was formed in 2007. It has lead responsibility for gender equality within the UK government, together with a responsibility to provide advice on all other forms of equality - including age, race, sexual orientation and disability - to other UK government departments.

poll loading Should we have a government ‘Minister for Men’? 0+ VOTES SO FAR Yes - we have one for women, so we should have one for men too No - There is still a huge issue with inequality between men and women and we need to focus out resources on leveling the playing field

The bright yellow poster has drawn condemnation on Twitter after Labour councillor Joe Rayment posted a picture of it with the comment: “The absolute state of this.”

But others defended it, citing the right to assemble and the right to representation.

Michael Norton, Conservative councillor for Lyncombe ward, tweeted: “It’s actually a very good idea.”

“There are 2 genders so why does only one get a minister?” he retorted when a Bath resident asked how ‘male privilege’ and how the ability to pay higher taxes hampers men.

Alistair Braes agreed with Mr Norton that a ‘Minister for Men’ was a good idea, arguing “people have the right to assemble and every group deserves to have a representative; should they want one.”

Rutters2 also tweeted his support for the idea, saying: “I definitely think we need one. It's to deal with inequalities faced by men. Just the same as the Ministry for Women does for women.”

Meanwhile, one of the posters was defaced by a protester with the words: "Stop telling women what to do with their bodies."

"Two female PMs in how long?" the graffiti continued.

The Society to Establish a ‘Minister for Men' was launched earlier this year by anti-feminist Swayne O’Pie, author of Why Britain Hates Men: Exposing Feminism.