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Following another series of alleged killings of women across Australia, the country has once again found itself asking familiar questions. How many more women have to die before we act? What more should governments do? Why does this violence keep happening?

It is often easier to identify patriarchal structures in the institutions we oppose than the organisations we belong to. We challenge, critique and demand better from others but when similar patterns of concentrated power and decision making, rigid hierarchies and lack of accountability and transparency appear inside an organisation that campaigns against patriarchy, they can become surprisingly difficult to acknowledge and call it as it is.

How can the Australian Government strengthen efforts to engage men and boys in the primary prevention of domestic, family and sexual violence? This submission to the Consultation on the Second Action Plan (National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032) provides guidance on effective ways forward. See the short summary below, and the full submission here. 

There is a growing symphony of voices reminding us that violence and hate cannot be stopped with more violence and more hate. Cancel culture has taken a powerful hold on our society and we are seeing the damage of this perpetuation of harm. So, what other options do we have, and how can this inform efforts to engage and mobilize men?

There is a multi-billion-dollar industry built on the loneliness, economic anxiety, and identity of men. It does not call itself an industry. It calls itself a movement, a brotherhood, a path to success. It presents itself as the antidote to a society that has failed men — and in doing so, it sells them the very things that keep them isolated, financially drained, and psychologically dependent on the young men profiting from their struggle. This report documents the industry: its mechanics, its actors, its revenue, and the young men it targets.

Nearly one in two women has experienced domestic violence (DV) in her lifetime, yet accountability remains elusive: Nearly half of survivors never report their abuse to law enforcement, often out of fear of retaliation. Many minimize the harm or shield their abuser’s behavior, telling themselves, “That’s just how men are,” or “He didn’t mean it.”

From Reflection to Action is a practical, evidence-based toolkit that helps organisations, practitioners, researchers and policymakers design gender-transformative programmes that engage men and boys – first as participants, and then as accountable allies in advancing gender equality.

The manosphere contributes to violence against women by men both within and outside the manosphere. The manosphere is a diverse online ecosystem of anti-feminist and male supremacist communities, influencers, and platforms.