The Movember Institute of men’s health and the Department of Social Services partner to reduce gender-based violence in Australia

[Australia, Sunday 18 August 2024] – The Movember Institute of Men’s Health (the Movember Institute) and the Commonwealth Department of Social Services (DSS) have partnered to reduce gender-based violence in Australia by advancing healthy masculinities initiatives aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of young boys and men, and promoting a culture of healthy masculinities. It's a transformative partnership that supports goals outlined in the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032 and the First Action Plan 2023-2027.

Gender-based violence remains a pervasive issue in Australia, one that disproportionately affects women, children, and marginalised communities. The statistics speak for themselves. In 2022–23, one woman was killed every eleven days by an intimate partner[1], marking an alarming 28% increase in homicides year on year. This year alone, gender-based violence has claimed the lives of 25 women as of April 23 – an increase of eleven deaths compared to the same period last year. For First Nations women and children, the outcomes are even worse, with Indigenous women being 34 times more likely to be hospitalised due to violence than non-Indigenous women, and six times more likely to die as a result of family violence[2].

The Movember Institute and DSS are committed to disrupting these cycles of violence through solution-focused initiatives that engage boys and men in all their diversities. With a commitment of $3.2 million, the Movember Institute will bolster its collaborative efforts with young men to understand and promote healthy expressions of masculinity. This initiative includes studies on how online platforms, including media environments and the 'manosphere', influence the mental health of young men. By building a community of practice across Australia, this partnership aims to develop evidence-based strategies that inform future funding and service delivery in the field of healthy masculinities.

Professor Simon Rice, Global Director of the Movember Institute of Men’s Health, states, "We are proud to collaborate with the Department of Social Services to address gender-based violence in Australia. Our goal is to elevate the voices and experiences of young boys and men, engaging them as integral parts of the solution. By promoting healthier expressions of masculinity, we aim to foster more respectful behaviours and create safer communities for all. Sustainable change means reinforcing these healthy expressions of masculinity in all the spheres where boys and men interact, whether online, in the media, in workplaces, schools, sporting clubs, or communities."

Key objectives of the partnership include:

• Supporting men to embrace less restrictive, more expansive forms of masculinity.
• Improving attitudes and behaviours associated with healthy masculinities.
• Enhancing community understanding of masculinities and their impact on gender-based violence.
• Facilitating knowledge exchange among organisations and government entities.

[1] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Family, domestic and sexual violence: Domestic homicide, last updated 12 April 2024

[2] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Family violence among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, last updated 15 August 2023

First photo: Professor Simon Rice, Global Director of the Movember Institute of Men’s Health; Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care; Michelle Terry, Movember CEO; and Hon Justine Elliot MP, Assistant Minister for Social Services and Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence.

Second photo: Pat Conaghan MP, Shadow Assistant Minister for Social Services and Shadow Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence; Michelle Terry, Movember CEO; and Hon Justine Elliot MP, Assistant Minister for Social Services and Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence.