It features the stories and insights of 12 Victorian men who are questioning the social ‘rules’ that tell men they need to be in control, be tough, be the breadwinner, and not express certain emotions.
The campaign is the culmination of almost two years of research and conversations with Victorians and is the ninth social change campaign produced by Respect Victoria.
“This campaign engages men by inviting them into conversations about gendered violence, and to reflect on what masculinity and being a man means to them,” said Respect Victoria Chair Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon.
The campaign is designed to support men and boys, people in their lives, and practitioners to open up conversations about many types of masculinities, and how they can challenge gender roles safely.
“Preventing violence against women and children requires open and honest conversations about the impacts of the social pressures we all experience. This is an important step for moving past defensiveness and to build much-needed momentum for change,” said Professor Fitz-Gibbon.
Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Natalie Hutchins explains, “this campaign is about encouraging men to speak openly and honestly about the pressures they face – and helping create a future where those pressures don’t lead to harm.”
“We all benefit when people feel free to be themselves – and when we break down harmful stereotypes that hold people back.”
The campaign draws inspiration from both research and practice, including the Man Box research conducted by Jesuit Social Services and Respect Victoria.
It highlights social pressures related to forms of masculinity that can drive a culture of violence, and lead to men harming themselves and those around them.
“Our recent Man Box report surveyed 3,500 Australian men and found that almost 40 per cent of them feel societal pressure to follow ‘Man Box’ rules such as acting tough, not seeking help when needed, aggression and control, rigid gender roles and hypersexuality.
“Importantly, few men – roughly one in four – told us they personally agreed with those rules,” said Matt Tyler, Executive Director of The Men’s Project at Jesuit Social Services.
One of the campaign participants, Fui, lives in Deer Park and has five kids. He speaks about the choices he made when he became a father.
“Masculinity was always in the back of my mind, but it wasn’t until I became a dad that I realised – a lot of the things I grew up with, I want that to stop with me,” said Fui.
Jefferson is 25 years old. He speaks about falling down an online rabbit hole that started to take him down a dangerous path, and the reflections he now has on what it means to be a man.
“If all these pressures about what a man should be didn’t exist anymore, I think a lot more men would be happy, they would be able to express themselves, and people would be safe around them,” said Jefferson.
The men featured in What Kind of Man do You Want to Be? generously share their stories and reflections on fatherhood, friendships, stereotypes that men face around money and relationships, community, and the influence of online environments.
This is the first iteration of these stories, and the campaign will be built on over time to keep supporting men to reflect, grow and take action to prevent all forms of gendered violence.