Does Australia need a men's rights manifesto? The comic and author Ben Pobjie thinks we do, but says the current "men's rights" movement is letting men down.

On Friday 8 March International Women’s Day will celebrate women’s achievements and calls for action to advance gender parity.

It’s also a day when misogynists the world over will gather on social media to yell “what about men?” with enough volume to drown out those who care to mention that, “erm, there’s an International Men’s Day too you know?”

The American Psychological Association’s new guidelines on working with men and boys caused a media storm in the past month, because they endorsed the view that “traditional masculinity is psychologically harmful”.

As with the now infamous Gillette ad, the guidelines have deeply divided opinion along binary gender political lines, with one side saying the APA is “harming men and boys” and the other side saying the guidelines will “literally save lives” and dismissing critics as "armchair psychologists".

Gillette, the razor company, has sparked global controversy, with a new advertising campaign in the US that places a focus on negative aspects of masculinity as part of its drive to become a brand that “encourages men to be their best”.

The two minute advert adopts a “toxic masculinity” narrative citing male-to-male violence; the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault of women by men as evidence of a “problem we can’t hide from”.

NB: This article was first published in October 2018 and refers to the draft Men's Health Strategy. It has not been updated to reflect the final version of the National Men's Strategy launched on 11 April 2019. 

The Government’s Draft Men’s Health Strategy (2020-2030) has been released at a time of increased international focus on men’s health. It comes just weeks after the publication of a men’s health strategy for the WHO EU region, which covers 53 countries. When we consider there are only four countries in the world with a national men’s health policy, this is a significant step forward.

A new report on public beliefs about gender has concluded that discussions about gender equality in Australia need to be more open and inclusive. The “Girls to Men” report, from the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation at the University of Canberra, found that 71% of men and 54% of women hold a Moderate worldview that is egalitarian and supportive of gender equality.