Three members of Australia’s creative community have joined forces to unveil May8, an initiative that aims to close the gap between men’s awareness of domestic violence and their willingness to take action.
It is founded by Paul Chappell (Founder, Brand+Story), Wade Kingsley (Founder, The Ideas Business) and Ben Lucas (Head of Marketing, Foremind).
They say there’s an urgent need to get men off the sidelines and into action to address Australia’s domestic violence crisis.
The May8 initiative launches today, with support from Ideally which conducted research that shows 84% Australian men believe domestic violence against women and children to be one of the most important issues facing Australians.
However, 41% believe that men aren’t speaking up about the issue because they don’t know what to do, while 40% believe they don’t see it as their responsibility.
"Most men are horrified by domestic violence statistics but don't know where to start in taking action," says May8 co-founder Wade Kingsley.
"We're not experts in this space, we're just three blokes who saw a gap that needed filling. May8 is about giving men practical ways to do something rather than nothing."
The initiative was born from a moment of reflection in 2024, when the founders noticed a week of shocking violence against women making headlines across Australia.
“That week forced us to ask ourselves, why aren't we doing more? And if we're not doing enough, chances are most men aren't either,” said May8 co-founder Ben Lucas.
"Talking with my partner about the family violence stories in the news, it became clear that I wasn't comfortable bringing it up with my mates. That made me reflect on why that was. If I knew that it was an issue that men needed to do more to help solve, why wasn’t I comfortable talking about it with my mates?”
Working with an advisory group of experts in domestic violence prevention, May8 has developed a list of eight practical actions men can take:
- Have a conversation with a mate. Find ways to bring up Family and Domestic Violence using conversation starters.
- Share your participation in May8 on your social network and tag us in. Every post can encourage other men to do the same.
- Let a woman in your life know you are actively supporting the cause. Sometimes just saying aloud that you are not just a bystander is worth her knowing.
- Make a cash donation to organisations that need your help.
- Read educational resources like Jess Hill's Quarterly Essay "Losing it"
- Donate an old mobile phone. Women fleeing domestic situations often have their phones tracked by perpetrators. DVSafePhone repurposes old phones for women in need.
- Watch the videos from "The Line" campaign and share it with a younger male you know.
- Donate a gift card to a Women's Shelter. Many women need gift cards to buy essentials when a perpetrator controls their bank account.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.