Panel - Changing Systems: Policy And Practice To Address Socially Dominant Masculinities And Prevent Gender-Based Violence
Tracks
Room 2: In-Person Only
| Wednesday, November 26, 2025 |
| 11:10 AM - 11:40 AM |
Overview
Henry Newton, Shelley Hewson-Munro & Shane Tas, Our Watch
Details
1. To work with men and boys to end gender-based violence, we must address the root causes of this violence beyond just the individual level. We showcase ongoing policy, organisation, systems and institutional changes and explore opportunities to expand these.
2. Governments can use policy, regulatory and legislative mechanisms to promote more expansive forms of masculinity and strengthen initiatives working with men and boys to prevent gender-based violence.
3. We present examples of the Men in focus five guiding principles for effective, ethical practice from various settings and link these efforts to the solutions required across all levels of society.
Speaker
Hamish Clark
Project Advisor
Our Watch
Changing systems: policy and practice to address socially dominant masculinities and prevent gender-based violence
Presentation Overview
Both The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children and Change the story – Australia’s national framework for preventing violence against women – emphasise the need to work with men and boys across all levels of society to end gender-based violence.
This means our efforts to address socially dominant masculinities and work with men and boys in primary prevention must include and go beyond changing individual attitudes. While individual men and boys might express, uphold and reinforce systems of patriarchy, gender inequality and men’s violence against women are also entrenched by structures, practices and norms in our society. For that reason, we must work at the organisational, community and societal levels to transform the unequal institutions, laws and systems that drive men’s violence against women.
In the first part of this panel discussion, Our Watch will share tangible opportunities for Commonwealth, state and territory governments to use various policy, regulatory and legislative mechanisms at their disposal to promote more expansive forms of masculinity and strengthen and grow work with men and boys to prevent gender-based violence.
In the second part, you will hear from a selection of primary prevention practitioners working with men, boys and masculinities across different settings and organisations, who will discuss effective ways they go about achieving change and preventing gender-based violence.
This means our efforts to address socially dominant masculinities and work with men and boys in primary prevention must include and go beyond changing individual attitudes. While individual men and boys might express, uphold and reinforce systems of patriarchy, gender inequality and men’s violence against women are also entrenched by structures, practices and norms in our society. For that reason, we must work at the organisational, community and societal levels to transform the unequal institutions, laws and systems that drive men’s violence against women.
In the first part of this panel discussion, Our Watch will share tangible opportunities for Commonwealth, state and territory governments to use various policy, regulatory and legislative mechanisms at their disposal to promote more expansive forms of masculinity and strengthen and grow work with men and boys to prevent gender-based violence.
In the second part, you will hear from a selection of primary prevention practitioners working with men, boys and masculinities across different settings and organisations, who will discuss effective ways they go about achieving change and preventing gender-based violence.
Biography
Henry is a Senior Policy Advisor at Our Watch, where he’s led development of a policy brief for Commonwealth, state and territory governments on opportunities to work with men and boys and address masculinities in the primary prevention of men’s gender-based violence. Henry advises on, and helps develop policy responses, campaigns and resources relating to, masculinities and working with men and boys in prevention. Henry holds a master’s in Public Policy and has worked for the Victorian government’s primary prevention of gender-based violence team, focusing on men and masculinities, and in the disability sector, focusing on the Disability Royal Commission.
Shelley Hewson-Munro
Changing Systems: Policy and Practice to Address Socially Dominant Masculinities and Prevent Gender-Based Violence
Biography
I am a social worker, researcher and masculinities practitioner and I have led practice innovation across Australia for the past 20 years. My work focuses on family, sexual & gender-based violence, trauma, health promotion and community capacity building. I am also the lead author and original designer of the Working Together with Men model.
I have taught and designed extensive curriculum across adult and youth community programs, Vocational and Higher Education and as an Academic Teaching Scholar in Social Work. I am passionate about collaborating for change, action research, doing things differently and seeking solutions to impossible challenges!
Henry Newton
Senior Advisor, Policy (Masculinities)
Our Watch
Changing Systems: Policy and Practice to Address Socially Dominant Masculinities and Prevent Gender-Based Violence
Biography
Henry is a Senior Policy Advisor at Our Watch, where he’s led development of a policy brief for Commonwealth, state and territory governments on opportunities to work with men and boys and address masculinities in the primary prevention of men’s gender-based violence. Henry advises on, and helps develop policy responses, campaigns and resources relating to, masculinities and working with men and boys in prevention. Henry holds a master’s in Public Policy and has worked for the Victorian government’s primary prevention of gender-based violence team, focusing on men and masculinities, and in the disability sector, focusing on the Disability Royal Commission.
Shane Tas
Our Watch
Changing Systems: Policy and Practice to Address Socially Dominant Masculinities and Prevent Gender-Based Violence
Biography
Dr Shane Tas is Principal Advisor, Masculinities at Our Watch. In this role he was project lead and author of the Men in focus report, launched in 2019 by the Victorian government. Shane also advises on, and helps develop policy responses, campaigns and practice resources relating to masculinities and working with men and boys in prevention of violence against women, and supports the prevention sector in this work. Prior to his role at Our Watch, Shane worked at the University of Melbourne as a researcher and educator in gender and sexuality studies with a particular focus on men and masculinities. Shane lives and works on Wurundjeri country in Naarm, Melbourne.
