What Kind of Man Do You Want to Be? is a new campaign designed to engage men across Victoria (Australia) in conversations about masculinity, respect and prevention. The campaign was launched in Melbourne/Naarm in June 2025.
The campaign takes as its starting point a well-documented challenge in the primary prevention of gendered violence: that men, as a group, are significantly less engaged in these efforts than women and gender diverse people. Years of campaign evaluations, public surveys and stakeholder feedback have underscored the need for prevention messaging that speaks directly to men. Not about them, but with them.
What Kind of Man Do You Want to Be? is a direct response to that gap. Developed through extensive research and co-design, the campaign invites men to reflect on the kind of masculinity they want to model in their everyday lives. It doesn’t prescribe a singular answer; instead, it opens space for pluralities, recognising that many men are already questioning outdated gender norms but lack visible alternatives or cultural permission to shift away from them.
The campaign draws heavily on the stories shared by Victorian men through interviews, focus groups and creative development sessions. These men weren’t always sure how to talk about masculinity, but they shared a clear desire for change towards emotional openness, relational connection, and community accountability. What emerged was not a rejection of masculinity but a reimagining of it.
Importantly, the campaign is grounded in evidence and shaped by practice wisdom. It was developed with input from experts across violence prevention, men’s behaviour change, public health and communications. Its messages were tested, refined and reviewed by practitioners and community members alike, ensuring cultural and contextual relevance.
As part of a broader public health approach to prevention, What Kind of Man Do You Want to Be? hopes to support the many existing efforts already underway to create safer, more respectful communities. It also aims to catalyse new conversations – at home, in workplaces, online and in public life – about what it means to be a man, and what it might mean to do so differently.
More information about the campaign is available here: https://www.respectvictoria.vic.gov.au/campaigns/kind-man/what-kind-of-man-do-you-want-to-be
#KindManCampaign