Engaging men from multicultural and faith-based communities in primary prevention

Program description  

The Engaging Men from Multicultural and Faith-Based Communities in Primary Prevention resource was developed under the Connecting Communities program – a collaborative initiative between the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health and Safe and Equal. This partnership provides capacity building support to the 33 funded organisations in the Victorian Government’s Supporting Multicultural and Faith Communities to Prevent Family Violence program. The program aims to strengthen funded organisations’ community-led efforts to prevent gendered violence and family violence across Victoria.  

The brief guide is designed to enhance the practice of engaging men and boys from multicultural and faith-based communities in the primary prevention of family violence. Recognising that violence prevention requires the participation of all community members, the resource provides practical strategies grounded in community insights and the broader evidence base. It seeks to dismantle gendered power structures and promote gender equality through inclusive, culturally responsive engagement.  

The content was shaped by the experiences and reflections of the Connecting Communities network –organisations that are recipients of the Supporting Multicultural and Faith Communities to Prevent Family Violence Grant and work directly with migrant and refugee communities in Victoria.  

Insights  

 Key findings from the project were as follows:

1. Community-led, intersectional approaches: The guide emphasises that engaging men effectively begins with understanding the intersections of culture, race, gender and other social identities. Community-led models that reflect lived experiences and local leadership are key to success.  
2. Inclusive framing of violence: Practitioners found that framing family violence as a global and human rights issue that affects everyone – and not as an issue tied to any one culture – reduced stigma and encouraged broader engagement.  
3. Elevating marginalised voices: A critical strategy is to ensure that men’s engagement efforts are led and informed by women, non-binary and gender-diverse leaders from their communities. This supports equity and avoids reinforcing existing hierarchies.  
4. Male role models and advocates: The resource highlights the value of training men as community advocates who model healthy masculinities. These men work alongside women to promote respectful relationships and challenge harmful norms.  
5. Creative and values-based messaging: Tailoring engagement through shared community values – such as respect, care and family wellbeing – proved effective. Initiatives such as cooking classes, sports events and discussion forums provided accessible entry points for men and boys.