Working with Boys and Men

It is easy to look at the ‘manosphere’ as a faraway land, one where a few unfortunate men have ended up in a bid for fame and fortune on Instagram and TikTok. ‘Not all men’ – and definitely not the men we know, hang out with, are related to, work with or hire. 

The manosphere - a diverse ecosystem of anti-feminist and male supremacist online communities, influencers, and platforms - has emerged over the past decade as a significant site of gendered harm. From men’s rights activist (MRA) networks and incel forums to “red pill” influencers and anti-feminist social media channels, these online environments shape how some men and boys understand masculinity, relationships, and gender relations.

We are a group of organisations that are committed to bridging work to address both violence against women and girls (VAWG) and men and boys’ wellbeing.

Amidst the backlash against gender equality and progressive social change, we often talk about the need to not just call men out, but also to call them in. But how do we do that? 

This new report explores how a care-centered approach can strengthen efforts to prevent men’s violence against women and girls. Produced by Equimundo for the MenCare Changemaker Summit 2026, the report examines how empathy, caregiving, relational accountability, and gender equality can help foster healthier masculinities and safer communities.

Drawing on global research and decades of violence prevention work, the report highlights practical strategies for engaging men and boys as caregivers, allies, and active partners in building a more just and non-violent world.

This resource provides a rapid landscape analysis of the organisations, institutions, and initiatives working across Australia to engage men and boys in gender equality. Conducted as a collaboration between Dalberg Advisors and Equimundo, this mapping highlights the depth and diversity of work already underway, spanning violence prevention, education, men’s health, caregiving, and digital culture.

Online misogyny is a global challenge with far-reaching consequences for equality, safety and public health. It directly fuels gender-based violence (GBV) and technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) against women, girls and LGBTQ+ communities. While women and girls remain the primary targets, boys and young men are also affected both as potential partici­pants in misogynistic environments, and victims of the same systems and norms that drive them.

The Australian organisation ManCave released an open letter on May 14, titled “An open letter to the sector working with men and boys, in healthy masculinities, gender equity, and the prevention of violence”. Professsor Steven Roberts and colleagues responded to this in a Substack post.

In the field of violence prevention work with men and boys, there is growing interest in engaging men as fathers. Fatherhood is identified as a key entry point that can be strategically leveraged to support male engagement, both during men’s transition to parenthood and throughout their involvements as parents and caregivers.

Four streams of work have converged to shape interest in engaging men as fathers in the prevention of domestic and sexual violence: 

Male allies are men who act to challenge patriarchal inequalities. Male allies ideally take everyday action to challenge sexist behaviours and relations, act in solidarity with women, and hold themselves accountable for striving to meet a gender-equitable standard.

This article summarises some of the research on allies, covering: