Three mates create the first national day of action specifically for men in response to the escalating domestic violence against women and children.
In line with Domestic Violence Prevention Month, a new initiative launched today aims to close the gap between men’s awareness of domestic violence and their willingness to take action. May8 (pronounced ‘mate’) challenges Australian men to stop being bystanders and start being active participants in ending violence against women and children.
May8 founders Paul Chappell, Wade Kingsley and Ben Lucas call for an urgent need to get men off the sidelines and into action to address this national crisis, as recent statistics show that two in five Australian women have experienced violence since age 15 and approximately one woman is killed by an intimate partner every 10 days.
Moreover, in its research conducted by Ideally, May8 found that while 84% of Australian men believe domestic violence against women and children are one of the most important issues facing Australians, 41% believe that men aren’t speaking up about the issue because they don’t know what to do, while 40% 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,” May8 co-founder Wade Kingsley said. “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 in 2024 during a moment of reflection where the founders noticed a week of shocking violence against women making headlines across the country.
“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,” May8 co-founder Ben Lucas said. “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 a diverse advisory group of domestic violence prevention experts, including women’s shelter frontline workers and financial abuse specialists, May8 has created a list of eight practical actions men can take:
1. Find ways to bring up domestic and family violence with a mate using conversation starters.
2. Share your participation on your social network and tag May8, as every post can encourage other men to do the same.
3. Let a woman in your life know you are actively supporting the cause, as saying aloud that you are not just a bystander is worth her knowing.
4. Donate cash to organisations needing your help.
5. Read educational resources such as Jess Hill’s essay “Losing it” or research from the Invisible Man project.
6. Donate an old mobile phone to an organisation like DVSafePhone, which repurposes old phones for women in need. Women fleeing domestic situations often have their phones tracked by perpetrators.
7. Watch video/s from “The Line” and share them with younger males you know.
8. Donate a gift card to a women’s shelter, as many women need it to buy essentials when a perpetrator controls their bank account.
“There’s a lot of great work being done by government and charity organisations on this issue year-round, and we’re hoping to complement that work by closing the gap between men’s awareness of the issue and their action to address it,” Kingsley added. “There are ways that we can all be more engaged in the issue, and the more engaged we are, the more active we’ll be able to be in solving the problem.”
For further information, visit the May8 website.
Read also: QLD athlete to run 3,800km for domestic violence support
Geraldine is currently the Content Producer for Third Sector, an Akolade channel. Throughout her career, she has written for various industries and international audiences. Her love for writing extends beyond the corporate world, as she also works as a volunteer writer at her local church. Aside from writing, she is also fond of joining fun runs and watching musicals.
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