‘All men’: Famous actors, athletes join court to condemn violence against women

The video will be played to a packed Melbourne Football Ground during this Friday’s (6 June) Collingwood and Hawthorn AFL game.

Chief Justice Will Alstergren AO said domestic and family violence “is just not on”, and men needed to be part of the conversation.

“Men who hold leadership positions, especially in an area that sees some of the worst of gendered violence, should feel compelled to be part of the push for change. For Australians, sport is the perfect arena in which to start these conversations,” Chief Justice Alstergren said.

The Chief Justice said he hoped the video would raise awareness and prompt “much more significant investment” in wrap-around services that support women and children who are victim-survivors.

It would also be aimed at men who are using violence, “to help them capitalise on the opportunity to change their harmful behaviour”.

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The video opens with Darcy Moore, a player with Collingwood, who told the audience that while it may not be “all men” who are violent towards women, “all men have a role to play in helping to end it”.

Jackman then said family violence “harms too many Australians each year”, and Bana added that family violence was a “national disgrace”.

“By calling out disrespect when we see it and when we hear it, and never making excuses for violence, all men can help to end violence against women in our community,” Moore said in closing the video.

Ben Vasiliou, CEO of The Man Cave, a mental health service for boys and men, said that when they are equipped with tools to understand themselves, express safety and respect others, men can prevent violence and help to grow stronger communities.

“This starts by surrounding boys with role models who show that strength is found in empathy, accountability and care,” he added.

Executive director of The Men’s Project at Jesuit Social Services, Matt Tyler, said that while not all men perpetrate violence, “all men working in solidarity in victim-survivors can play a role in creating communities where everyone can lead healthy lives”.

“Central to this is calling men and boys into violence prevention efforts, including supporting them to better recognise violence, seek help when they need it, address violent behaviour and positively impact the underlying reasons why men use violence, such as rigidly adhering to stereotypical ideas about what it means to be a man,” Tyler said.