Get Onboard the Wave of Support for Men and Boys in Australia

It's time for men and women of goodwill to work together, to build a better future for our next generation...

There have been dozens of positive developments for the advocacy of men and boys in Australia, during the last six months. The twenty-seventh International Men’s Day on 19 November was the biggest and the best one ever. Several high-profile appointments have been made, including the world-first Minister for Men and Boys in Victoria. New groups and forums have been established. The public discourse has massively shifted. A national inquiry is being held into lifting the educational performance of boys and young men. These are the positive changes that we’ve been requesting for years. And now they have to be followed by tangible actions: new services that actually help men and boys; genuine listening to the perspectives of males; reductions in male suicide; tailored healthcare for men; better school outcomes for boys; and a reshaping of higher education that caters to young men.

During the last six months, there has been an amazing expansion of support for men and boys in Australia. And it started with International Men’s Day on 19 November 2025:
- Last year was the biggest and most successful celebration of International Men’s Day ever, since it was founded 27 years ago in 1999.
- More than one hundred events were promoted at www.internationalmensday.info and Australian Men’s Health Forum (AMHF) noted dozens of unpublished events as well.
- The Governor-General gave her support to IMD, with an event at Government House.
- Representatives of all political parties paid their respects to males lost to suicide, at the Zerosuicide display of 2,500 shoes in front of Parliament House. Dan Repacholi MP (Special Envoy for Men’s Health) attended, acutely aware of the 5% increase in men and boys who died last year from suicide. Paul Withall has held this commemoration for four years in a row, with six displays in total.
- A world-first 9-hour-long global livestream for IMD featured Warwick Marsh and his son Nat Marsh (from Dads4Kids), Andrew Gray, Warren Farrell, Mark Brooks, Lisa Britton, Larry DeMarco, Ed Bartlett, Tom Golden, Torben Haugaard, David Yaka, Halima Layeni, Pete Nicholls, Ola Akinwe, plus many other prominent advocates for men and boys. David Maywald’s book The Relentless War on Masculinity was launched on IMD, during this webcast.
- An IMD Forum was held at the Hyatt hotel in Canberra, hosted by Phil Gouldson and Bec Forrest.
- Sarah Game MLC hosted the annual IMD dinner in Adelaide, with Premier Peter Malinauskas and other Ministers of the South Australian government. The SA Legislative Council passed an IMD motion moved by Sarah Game, seconded by both a Liberal and Labor Member of the Legislative Council.
- In the West Australian upper house, Maryka Groenewald MLC spoke passionately about the importance of celebrating men on IMD. She called for recognition of men’s contribution and respect for males, with a speech that went viral on social media.
- The Parliamentary Friends of Healthy Masculinities group was launched at Parliament House in Canberra, with co-chairs from Labor, Liberals, and an independent.

During December 2025, AMHF acknowledged 100 organisations that are supporting men and boys across the country. Tim Richardson’s role in the Victorian government was expanded from Parliamentary Secretary for Men's Behaviour Change to also include Men’s Health and Wellbeing. Also during the summer, David Maywald conducted a national survey of issues relating to men and boys. This garnered 244 responses and 575 comments, highlighting the importance of reducing male suicide, fairer health funding and tailored healthcare services for men, as well as uplifting education outcomes for boys and young men.

NSW parliamentarian Matt Cross MP was installed as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Men's Health in January 2026. Leader of the NSW Liberals Kellie Sloane MP spoke with Ben Fordham (hugely influential host on talkback radio, at 2GB's Breakfast Show). She emphasised that we should be celebrating masculinity, and also voiced concerns for her three sons. Also in January, David Maywald lodged a formal complaint with Australia’s Ambassador to the United Nations and two Cabinet Ministers. This cited the bias of UN Women and the lack of concern for male disadvantage.

In February 2026, Glen Poole and AMHF released a 28-page report on the success of IMD 2025. David Maywald was appointed as a Board Member of the International Council for Men and Boys (ICMB), and he sent a copy of The Relentless War on Masculinity to every Member and Senator in federal parliament (226 in total). During Senate Estimates, Tyron Whitten from One Nation asked Foreign Minister Penny Wong why there is no Office for Men, citing enormous disparities in education/workplace deaths/health/child custody/suicide, and this video clip went viral.

Sarah Game MLC announced the launch of South Australia's first Parliamentary Friends of Men's Wellbeing forum, during March. Celebrating Masculinity released evidence that IMD had been celebrated in more than 110 countries during 2025, the highest number of countries ever reported. This demonstrated the global importance of IMD, with it's continued expansion.

April was enormous, on several fronts. There was bipartisan support for the inquiry into the education of boys and young men, by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education, endorsed by both Minister Jason Clare MP and Shadow Minister Julian Leeser MP. The Victorian Labor government appointed a world-first Minister for Men and Boys (Paul Edbrooke MP) alongside a new Minister for Women and Girls. Opposition Leader Mark Parton MLA was appointment as the first Shadow Minister for Men and Men's Health in the Australian Capital Territory, alongside a new Shadow Minister for Women and Women’s Health. Mark also launched the Canberra Friends of Men's Health and Wellbeing. The inaugural Men, Boys and Fathers Forum was held in Albury by the Nationals, opening the discussion with regional voters and listening to their issues, this featured several parliamentarians (both federal and state). A series of similar forums will be held across the country, during coming months. Llew O'Brien MP was appointed as Shadow Special Envoy for Men and Boys, by the Leader of the National Party (Senator Matt Canavan) and the Leader of the Liberal Party (Angus Taylor MP). This announcement was made during a press conference on the first day of pre-polling, in the final days before an important byelection. Matt Canavan, Llew O’Brien, and David Maywald all spoke during this press conference.

Taken together, this latest half-year has delivered the most advancement for the issues for boys, young men, and older men that we've seen in the last generation (perhaps ever). Clearly all of the political parties are now intently listening to male voters (and they are starting to pay attention to future male voters). Now is not the time for mere complaining or awareness raising. The advocates for men and boys must bring forward concrete proposals for changing policy, legislation, education, health, and culture. There are enormous opportunities to engage constructively with this movement, and the awakening that has occurred during the last six months, in order to achieve better relationships, balanced outcomes, and a healthier society.