Our advocacy and impact

What we know and what we're learning

Our reach

Since The Men’s Project was established in 2017 we have worked with tens of thousands of people to change the attitudes and conditions which interfere with boys’ and men’s capacity to live respectful, accountable and fulfilling lives. We do this in a number of ways:

By conducting and sharing research about attitudes towards masculinity and the impact of these (e.g. our Man Box research [insert link])
By working with schools, governments, community organisations and the broader community to raise awareness of harmful ideas about masculinity and the impact of these (e.g. our Man Box workshops [insert link]), and equipping role models with the knowledge and skills they need to challenge harmful attitudes and behaviours and role model healthier alternatives (e.g. our Modelling Respect and Equality program [insert link])
By developing interventions which address harmful behaviours among boys and men

In the year between June 2021 and July 2022 we ran more than 130 sessions with 8,500 people to share with them the harmful impact of rigid idea about how to be a ‘real’ man.

Submissions and MP statements

April 2019 – Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry: The Social and Economic Benefits of Improving Mental Health
July 2019 – Submission to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System
September 2019 – Statement by Fiona Patten MP regarding The Men’s Project
October 2019 – Submission to the Senate Legal & Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection Measures) Bill 2019
October 2019 – Submission to consultation on the Northern Territory Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Framework
October 2019 – Submission to consultation on the Northern Territory Gender Equality Framework 2019-2024
November 2019 – Raising the age of criminal responsibility: there is a better way
December 2019 – Submission to the Inquiry into Gender Responsive Budgeting
February 2020 – Statement by Pauline Richards MP in Victorian Legislative Assembly regarding The Men’s Project
January 2021 – Submission to the Victorian Law Reform Commission’s Consultation on Improving the Response of the Justice System to Sexual Offences
July 2021 – Submission to the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children Consultation
October 2021 – Submission to Victoria’s Gender Equality Strategy 2022
October 2021 – Submission to consultation on addressing sexual harassment in Victorian workplaces
March 2022 – Feedback on the Draft National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children

Media coverage

October 2018 – BuzzFeed – “44% Of Men With Rigid Views About Masculinity Have Thought About Suicide In The Previous Fortnight, Study Finds”
October 2018 – The Age – “If you’re stuck in the ‘man box’, trying to conform can spell disaster”
October 2018 – ABC News – “Sydney Swans captain Josh Kennedy is teaching his son it’s OK to cry”
October 2018 – The Conversation – “Australian study reveals the dangers of ‘toxic masculinity’ to men and those around them”
October 2018 – Queensland University of Technology – “What’s in ‘the man box’? Increased violence & suicidal thoughts”
October 2018 – CathNews – “Study reveals dangers of being in the ‘man box’”
October 2018 – Melbourne Catholic – “The Man Box: JSS releases study on young men in Australia”
October 2018 – ABC RN Life Matters – “Stuck in the ‘Man Box’: how traditional masculinity harms men and those around them”
August 2019 –Sydney Morning Herald – “Helping boys foster the positive masculinity within”
October 2019 – Sydney Morning Herald – “White Ribbon urged to get back in touch with its community roots”
October 2019 – Probono Australia – “Men have a vital role to play in the anti-domestic violence movement, advocates say”
November 2019 – The New Daily – “Campaigners push for anonymous hotline to stop would-be child sex offenders”
November 2019 – ABC News – “Adolescent family violence is ‘extremely underreported’. This mum is helping break the silence”
December 2019 – ABC TV – Silent No More – Episode 3
January 2020 – ABC Radio Melbourne – Matt Tyler discussion with Virginia Trioli
January 2020 – Daily Mercury – “What’s missing in the fight against child porn”(Subscription required)
January 2020 – Talk to your son about sex. He knows less than you think.

Media releases

March 2018 – Helping boys and men flourish
September 2018 – Addressing adolescent family violence and restoring relationships
October 2018 – The Man Box: A study on being a young man in Australia
December 2018 – The Men’s Project releases The Man Box research
October 2019 – Men engagement network and white ribbon
December 2019 – Funding cut to ATSI peak body must be immediately reversed
February 2022 – Prevention and education critical in ending violence against women