Great work Bettina. This is such a deeply important issue. Much of my work is about supporting men to stand strong and proud of their masculinity, and to help their friends do the same, and then to pass it onto their sons and nephews. I am sorry I cannot be at your event as I will be working ion the US, but I will be there in spirit. And I agree regarding Movember. It is a scam!!! The Male Hug, on the other hand, is doing amazing work.
In the linked media release, the Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth says "Recent research has found that 25 per cent of teenage boys in Australia look up to social media personalities who perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes and condone violence against women." I find this highly doubtful. Does anyone know of a single social media personality who condones violence against women? I spend a fair bit of time on youtube etc. and I know of men who criticise women but have never heard a single comment condoning violence against women. Is this all referring to one segment 10 years ago by Andrew Tate? I think these feminists should be challenged to produce evidence when they make this claim that male influencers are condoning violence as it seems to be their key argument for censoring communication between men and funding feminist propaganda programs. It is also completely false.
They lie every day. Blatant lies. Sadly, many of the moronic sheep in our society, including men, swallow it without question. If I could just have ten minutes with Albanese and tell him what I think of him and his party, I could sleep better at night.
How do these treacherous scumbags look their male constituents in the eye?
But in an Islamic society violence against women, even female family members, is common. There are strict cultural norms that must be obeyed by females - and woe to them if these rules are broken!
Please note this is not a general criticism of attitude or culture, this response is specifically related to factual detail in your post.
You said that penalties meted out are more severe for males in every case.
This is not true for two reasons.
In many interpretations of Sharia the threshold for transgression is much lower for women.
For example a man can have up to four wives, and sleeping with these "other" women is not a transgression.
Yet a woman who may have escaped a violent marriage to run away with a man she is not related to, can easily find herself being stoned to death for adultery whether she has had sex with her rescuer or not.
Another example is if a young couple elope and the relationship is disapproved of by both families, the woman is much more likely to die in an honour killing.
Even if not killed, it is likely she will be returned to her family for a lifetime of sexual abuse and domestic slavery.
They boy may expect to be quickly married off to a distant cousin in a remote village or if his family is of high status he might find himself unexpectedly emigrating.
While all of these consequences disregard the desires of the young people, the punishment for men are rarely as consequential as they are for women and girls.
Unfortunately, here in Australia, we are not allowed to say anything negative about Islamic males or females nor identify particular groups that make up the majority of the violence statistics.
All Australian men are tarnished with the slurs of violence. For the majority, it is simply not true.
Right, the facts are that domestic violence is far greater in Aboriginal communities , for reasons well known but which politicians will not deal with . Instead the statistics on Aboriginal DV are mixed in with the rest of the population in the name of racial equality.
These statistics then show a much greater incidence of DV within the general population.
This just distorts the truth and does not help anyone least of all the people who need the help , the Aboriginals . But it does give the feminists an excuse to milk more taxpayers money from the Federal coffers , and when did the leftie feminists living in suburban luxury ever really care about their Aboriginal “sisters” doing it tough ?
Rishworth is just another ignorant lying feminist politician. Obviously there are no male influencers on Youtube etc. advocating or condoning violence against women, or they'd be taken down in an instant and face prosecution. All they're doing is educating young men about the behaviour and expectations of modern women, and the dangers of relationships with them. And they're extremely careful in their choice of words, to avoid charges of hate speech. Their overriding message is a positive one that helps young men to understand they can live happy, productive and fulfilling lives, WITHOUT women! And therein lies the REAL concern amongst young women today - they do not live in fear of VIOLENCE by men, they live in fear of being IGNORED by men! Their worst fear is not being bashed, it's winding up alone and childless in their mid-thirties, surrounded by cats! Knowing that if they opt for single motherhood, they will face a life of endless struggle and poverty on the brink of homelessness.
Feminist have learnt that they do not really have to produce evidence for their outrageous claims like Amanda Rishworth makes.
What she says is so full of holes that no right minded ,naturally sceptical person would take it seriously, does she mean to say that one in four teenage boys condones violence towards women ?
The research only found that the teenage boys looked up to some social media personalities with certain traits , but it did not specify WHY the boys looked up to these people , most likely it’s because of other qualities possessed by them , not because they may also have opinions about women unfavourable to the extremist feminists .
You are right ,the feminists should be made to provide evidence but politicians are too scared of being labeled misogynists and losing womens votes.
I agree - it is a mealy mouthed statement that is written to imply that they look up to them for advocating violence against women, when you can't even do that on any major platform. In fact, even the dodgy ones like Tate, do not talk much about women. He is mainly a motivational speaker who claims he can help boys raise their status by getting rich and he also promotes physical fitness. Many boys like his acerbic commentary about society and message that only raising your status matters in improving your life. They haven't imbibed any messages from him normalising violence against women.
Note that no consideration is given to the most important question which would be "why". As with out of control male suicides we're not allowed to ask that question.
The vilification doesn’t much matter - only a complete girl needs a politician or a media “personality” to validate them.
What bothers me more is the sheer galloping multidimensional insanity of the world I find myself living on the fringe of.
Amongst the many crimes against humanity which the Woke inflicted upon us - climate alarmism, transexualism - the sort of “land rights for gay whales” rubbish we use to giggle about in the olden days, for me the worst will always be the retreat from the Enlightenment, from a real understanding of scientific method, and how we learned to actually build knowledge in a reliable, replicable predictive manner. But once again, the cult of the “expert” whose opinion is far more important than empirical evidence.
The world has become, once again, infested with Woke sheeple, like prison trusties happy to put the screws on the ordinary people if, in return, they can bathe in the approval of their perceived betters.
Of course the vilification matters. It alienates men and especially young men from society and is a constant irritation to many of us. I find it so annoying I have started trying to avoid mass media altogether during the regular outbreaks of anti-male hysteria. It also creates anti-male attitudes among women which causes them to act in ways that are harmful to themselves and to us. Most of my male friends feel the same.
I once applied for a job there as I was unemployed and needed a job. Over half the staff were female, I got ghosted after the interview and the whole vibe was a pyramid scheme. The last people to get help from the branding exercise that is Movember are the ones in actual need.
I'm astonished to discover that Movember has a female CEO. So men are raising money to help men, and then a female CEO is handing it over for a campaign to vilify men and boys. Amazing.
You're forgetting that men are bad and women are good. Men commit violence against innocent women. So it's only fair that men should pay for harm reduction programs to “help young men and boys foster healthy, respectful relationships as part of efforts to end gender-based violence.” And since you can't put the inmates in charge of the re-education camp, it must be run by women. Simples!
What a shocker! I can’t say I’m all that surprised, although selling out to the appalling Albanese "gendered violence" nonsense crowd really sticks in the craw. I’ll be resolutely keeping myself clean shaven in November. It’ll be NO-vember for me.
Do we know if movember is transparent and how does a NFP hand money to the Gov? It is usually the other way around. Who are the men at the top of the organisation giving money to demonise boys?
It turns out that the current CEO is a female as are at least half of the senior execs. I suspect that the government asked for this money and will give more back to them with the other hand, but I still agree it is totally unacceptable for them to be supporting what is effectively a feminist-female cause hectoring men with scarce funds that were donated for men's health.
Yeah, I saw Movember hosted a talk on stereotypes of masculinity where 4 out of six panelists (including the Movember CEO) were female! lol. You could never imagine men convening a public discussion of femininity where most of the speakers were male. It would go viral for its presumption.
The subject of mental health has in the past been stigmatised , thankfully this is changing, more open and honest discussion is needed, there is still lots to learn .
But if you just want to talk about mens mental health then you must take into account the affect on men of being the cannon fodder and scapegoats of empire building and wars .
In WW1 it was common for 10 or 20 thousand men to be killed in one day on the killing fields of Europe. But the horror of this was downplayed by governments , these men were not seen as “victims “ they were “heros” they died for King and Country, they were immortalised in a list of names on some war memorial somewhere , their families encouraged to be proud of their “sacrifice”, and certainly not complain about losing an only son or maybe an only child.
If this is how Western culture regards men , as disposable items ,then is it any wonder men suffer from mental issues.
But the same feminists who demand equality are silent when it comes to the touchy subject of gender equality on the battlefield. Maybe in the interest of fairness women can go and fight the next war and the men can stay at home .
For one Zac Seidler is Global Director of Men's Health Research at Movember and deeply embedded in the feminist/DV power structure. For example he was recently appointed to Albo's review into prevention approaches mentioned in Bettina's last article.
"Who are the men at the top of the organisation giving money to demonise boys?"
Presumably the very same beta simps who pander to women every day of their pathetic lives and vilify other men and boys to signal their virtue and win female approval.
I had no idea about this and will immediately seek Movember comment on these allegations. This is serious misuse of donated funds. It just so happens I am managing a deceased estate where donations are to be made to worthy charities. Movember was way up there for a planned donation. I do not agree to ANY donated monies being funneled back via Albanese government into whacky "male re-education programs" designed by the well-funded DV industry, most of whom are women with a one-eyed agenda.
This is one of the few organisations actually helping men, particularly men facing the crisis of relationship breakdown. They went through a ridiculous rebranding exercise - hence ParentsBeyondBreakup - to try to get some government funding by helping women as well but that didn't work. They get hardly any funding from the government and do important work with men. Let me know if you'd like to talk to someone there. Please email if you would like to discuss.
I just received response from Movember group Comms manager, an extract below confirms Bettina’s report…….
Regarding your question about the recent media coverage, I’d like to provide some clarity. Movember is partnering with the Australian Government, committing $3.2 million towards an initiative aimed at helping young men and boys foster healthy, respectful relationships. This is part of our broader effort to address gender-based violence, which we believe is crucial to improving men’s mental health and well-being. The funding is directed towards a partnership with the Department of Social Services (DSS), focusing on preventive measures to create a positive impact on future generations.
The specific programs funded by this initiative are designed to equip young men with the tools they need to develop healthier relationships and ultimately contribute to reducing violence. This initiative also involves research into how online platforms, including media environments and the 'manosphere,' affect the mental health of young men. By creating a community of practice across Australia, this partnership seeks to develop evidence-based strategies that will guide future funding and service delivery in promoting healthy masculinities. You can find more detailed information about this initiative on our website here.
I think they were alright at the start and I've given them money every year but I'll stop now. It's the classic process where a good organisation gets "captured", especially once it starts dealing with government.
We'll have to agree to disagree. Movember has always avoided the elephant in the room, which is the systemic discrimination against men and boys in almost every sphere of public life. It has always been ideologically suspect. I'm genuinely sorry that you were misled.
I've been drawing attention to the state of play for boys and men since the nineties but was never sure about Movember either. I simply couldn't put my finger on what bothered me. Maybe my radar's better than I thought.
It doesn’t surprise me that this ‘Movember’ charity is really a fake. It is worth reading Gary Johns’ 2017 book analysing the ‘charity’ racket in general. After reading it I came to regard ‘charity’ organisations with a very jaundiced eye, especially when I realised how incompetently one particular fund-raising organisation for cancer was being run after I was slightly involved in raising funds for it on behalf on my then local member of parliament.
There are tens of thousands of registered ‘charities’ in Australia, and many of them seem to be rackets that exist mainly to provide fat salaries or political dividends to those that run them. The salaries are labeled in the accounts as ‘administrative costs’ - all subsidised by the taxpayer because charity funding is ‘tax deductible’.
Below are the details of Gary Johns’ book - he was a minister in the Hawke Labor Government in an era when the Australian Labor Party still went through the motions of representing working class Australians, and before they were infiltrated and then finally taken over by hard-core neo-Marxist Green fellow travellers – a process that picked up steam once the Soviet Union collapsed and the two Communist Parties in Australia dissolved themselves. (Yes – there were two!).
The title of the book and its publicity description from the Amazon page are as follows:
“The Charity Ball: How to Dance to the Donor's Tune” – published 2017.
- “Too many charities in Australia do little or no charity work, too many receive most of their income from the government and too many lobby government for more. Gary Johns analyses the charity sector and concludes that a better-informed donor is essential to drive better charity.
Gary Johns has produced a forensic examination of a problem that is as endemic in Australia as it is in the UK. Political activism by state-funded charities is a potent - and growing - threat to democracy in the West. This important book provides countless examples of charities going beyond their remit while blurring the lines between civil society and the state in a manner that will shock many of their unwitting donors. – Christopher Snowdon, Research Fellow, Institute of Economic Affairs, London
Drawing on his experience as a government minister, party operative, think-tank guru and media commentator Dr Johns advocates for more information so donors can make better informed choices about the destination of their dollar. Fundraisers among others will find some of his recommendations challenging but he is to be commended for pushing the debate beyond yesterday’s one-size-fits-all solutions such as league tables. – Rob Edwards, Chief Executive Officer, Fundraising Institute Australia”.
"Too many charities in Australia do little or no charity work, too many receive most of their income from the government and too many lobby government for more."
Therein lies the racket. Raise money to continue lobbying for more money. It's a money-go-round whose only purpose is maintaining the lifestyles of the operatives. "Laundering" is an apt description. Governments should NEVER give money to such organisations.
Labor governments always give away huge amounts of taxpayers hard earned , it shows their contempt for the working classes and taxpayers , no working class men or women should even consider voting for the leftie elitist ALP , as it is today.
Certainly no men should be voting for them. The party was created by working class family men, a demographic they now seem to hate with a vengeance.
I grew up in an extended family which has been the backbone of the ALP in central Victoria since federation. My father, a regular office bearer in local branches, turned his back on the party during the early nineties. I've since learned to trust his judgement.
The ALP is now the party of the professional ,educated , left leaning elite , who look down on the working class .But they still regard themselves as socialists even though they have portfolios of rental property , shares , big super from highly paid public service jobs or similar ,ie . lawyers etc.. Hypocrisy in truck loads , if only they could see it.
But history repeats and Albenese's government could see a swing against it similar to what the Whitlam government saw in 1975 , both notorious for reckless spending .
I used to give regularly to charities and thought that I was helping to change the world.
I think it was in 2012 that I ran into a friend and we walked across the intersection in front of the Sydney Town Hall to the Queen Victoria Building. I saw a Salvation Army person collecting money for returned soldiers. I indicated that I might donate a dollar or two.
My male friend questioned me: 'why would you do that?'
I questioned him why he said this, and his reply was something like: "you have already paid for the military and the wars with your taxes and why would you give again??"
Since this encounter I've rarely given to charities anymore, if at all. I've assisted Refugees to learn English instead and maybe that included having a coffee or ice cream. I gave of my time and enjoyed the connection.
More recently I decided to donate small amounts to the likes of Bettina or Janice Fiamengo or Tom Golden.. they are much better at being Mens Issues Advocates than I ever will be.
"When they receive government grants, as many do, there is no longer anything "nongovernmental" about them. And some big ones, in turn, fund government operations."
(Stephen Baskerville mentions this is his latest book 'who lost America?' in talking about NGO's)
I now realise it's a sophisticated version of the infamous NGOs of Cambodia whereby they harvest stacks of money from supportive donors and then spend little of it as claimed.
In this case to spend $3m - a huge sum of money for a donor-supported organisation - on a cause with no direct benefit to men is gob smacking.
Their monthly email updates report little progress on men's health and wellbeing but I've always put this down to their small size. It seems they are capable of much, much more.
Does anybody know of another organisation that genuinely advocates for men's issues, and needs some financial support? (Relax, Bettina, you're already on my list :-))
Rhys, I mentioned above that I think Dads in Distress is one of the few good organisations genuinely helping men - https://parentsbeyondbreakup.com/dids/ - at their greatest time of need. However they are doing very little advocating because they get a pittance from the government. All our key men's organisations that are taking money from the government have been muzzled. I will be writing about this soon. Please send in information that is relevant.
I wouldn't be so fast. I agree that funding that propaganda campaign is disgraceful but it is a drop in the ocean of what they have spent on men's health programs ($128 million raised last year with 3/4 spent on health programs). I bet the disgusting Labor government demanded it as a trade-off for funding some of the much larger demands Movember is calling for in men's health. Labor is keen to pretend their feminist campaign also helps men, so they would pay a premium for Movember's rubber stamp.
Thanks Duncan. Men are falling behind because women are doing a far better job of advocacy. Whatever else Movember are doing, they're not advocating for men.
If they are indeed spending $90m on men's health programs I've seen little news or evidence of it in spite of receiving their monthly member updates.
Your comment about Labor arm twisting is probably correct (although as I recall, it was John Howard who taught the govt how to deal with social organisations that want to rock the boat). Going along with it is poor activism though.
"Men are falling behind because women are doing a far better job of advocacy."
Translation: Men are falling behind because women are doing a far better job of badmouthing men to governments, than we could ever do of defending ourselves.
I agree but sophisticated advocacy involves positioning yourself as being sympathetic to the government-of-the-days' ideology, or at least not wildly out of step. Movember could easily find itself being ostracised in the current anti-male social climate, and even being shunned at a company level where is does its fund-raising - for only supporting men. Look at their annual report and see all the money they give to male-specific cancers and suicide prevention. I don't like the woke messaging they are adopting but I do see some strategic validity in it. All of the male organisations I support, to be effective, have produced some messaging around "healthy masculinity", which I detest but which is needed to shake some money out of the government. If you don't give money to Movember, who are you going to give it to? Hopefully Bettina's new project, but until we know more Movember is pretty much all there is.
The term "healthy masculinity", in the absence of any corresponding term "healthy femininity", simply reinforces the dogma of "toxic masculinity", which ignores or pretends that toxic femininity does not exist.
I agree with your first point that the term "healthy masculinity" is a passive aggressive one that immediately implies the existence of unhealthy masculinity. It is an important point. If the the idea of encouraging "healthy femininity" was being bandied about, it would be immediately understood as an attack upon women whose version of femininity was deemed unacceptable. If the people using the term were men, it would be viewed as extremism.
I applied the same logic many years ago when I became a feminist ... no big deal, I was happy to be supportive and thought my support might be appreciated. I'm still waiting for the appreciation.
Great work Bettina. This is such a deeply important issue. Much of my work is about supporting men to stand strong and proud of their masculinity, and to help their friends do the same, and then to pass it onto their sons and nephews. I am sorry I cannot be at your event as I will be working ion the US, but I will be there in spirit. And I agree regarding Movember. It is a scam!!! The Male Hug, on the other hand, is doing amazing work.
We need an end to #metoo. The agenda at the root of the Brittany Higgins scam revealed and a new media network created.
In the linked media release, the Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth says "Recent research has found that 25 per cent of teenage boys in Australia look up to social media personalities who perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes and condone violence against women." I find this highly doubtful. Does anyone know of a single social media personality who condones violence against women? I spend a fair bit of time on youtube etc. and I know of men who criticise women but have never heard a single comment condoning violence against women. Is this all referring to one segment 10 years ago by Andrew Tate? I think these feminists should be challenged to produce evidence when they make this claim that male influencers are condoning violence as it seems to be their key argument for censoring communication between men and funding feminist propaganda programs. It is also completely false.
They lie every day. Blatant lies. Sadly, many of the moronic sheep in our society, including men, swallow it without question. If I could just have ten minutes with Albanese and tell him what I think of him and his party, I could sleep better at night.
How do these treacherous scumbags look their male constituents in the eye?
But in an Islamic society violence against women, even female family members, is common. There are strict cultural norms that must be obeyed by females - and woe to them if these rules are broken!
The penalties meted out to males who transgress are more severe in every society.
Please note this is not a general criticism of attitude or culture, this response is specifically related to factual detail in your post.
You said that penalties meted out are more severe for males in every case.
This is not true for two reasons.
In many interpretations of Sharia the threshold for transgression is much lower for women.
For example a man can have up to four wives, and sleeping with these "other" women is not a transgression.
Yet a woman who may have escaped a violent marriage to run away with a man she is not related to, can easily find herself being stoned to death for adultery whether she has had sex with her rescuer or not.
Another example is if a young couple elope and the relationship is disapproved of by both families, the woman is much more likely to die in an honour killing.
Even if not killed, it is likely she will be returned to her family for a lifetime of sexual abuse and domestic slavery.
They boy may expect to be quickly married off to a distant cousin in a remote village or if his family is of high status he might find himself unexpectedly emigrating.
While all of these consequences disregard the desires of the young people, the punishment for men are rarely as consequential as they are for women and girls.
Unfortunately, here in Australia, we are not allowed to say anything negative about Islamic males or females nor identify particular groups that make up the majority of the violence statistics.
All Australian men are tarnished with the slurs of violence. For the majority, it is simply not true.
Right, the facts are that domestic violence is far greater in Aboriginal communities , for reasons well known but which politicians will not deal with . Instead the statistics on Aboriginal DV are mixed in with the rest of the population in the name of racial equality.
These statistics then show a much greater incidence of DV within the general population.
This just distorts the truth and does not help anyone least of all the people who need the help , the Aboriginals . But it does give the feminists an excuse to milk more taxpayers money from the Federal coffers , and when did the leftie feminists living in suburban luxury ever really care about their Aboriginal “sisters” doing it tough ?
That has absolutely no bearing on situation in all other countries.
Rishworth is just another ignorant lying feminist politician. Obviously there are no male influencers on Youtube etc. advocating or condoning violence against women, or they'd be taken down in an instant and face prosecution. All they're doing is educating young men about the behaviour and expectations of modern women, and the dangers of relationships with them. And they're extremely careful in their choice of words, to avoid charges of hate speech. Their overriding message is a positive one that helps young men to understand they can live happy, productive and fulfilling lives, WITHOUT women! And therein lies the REAL concern amongst young women today - they do not live in fear of VIOLENCE by men, they live in fear of being IGNORED by men! Their worst fear is not being bashed, it's winding up alone and childless in their mid-thirties, surrounded by cats! Knowing that if they opt for single motherhood, they will face a life of endless struggle and poverty on the brink of homelessness.
Feminist have learnt that they do not really have to produce evidence for their outrageous claims like Amanda Rishworth makes.
What she says is so full of holes that no right minded ,naturally sceptical person would take it seriously, does she mean to say that one in four teenage boys condones violence towards women ?
The research only found that the teenage boys looked up to some social media personalities with certain traits , but it did not specify WHY the boys looked up to these people , most likely it’s because of other qualities possessed by them , not because they may also have opinions about women unfavourable to the extremist feminists .
You are right ,the feminists should be made to provide evidence but politicians are too scared of being labeled misogynists and losing womens votes.
I agree - it is a mealy mouthed statement that is written to imply that they look up to them for advocating violence against women, when you can't even do that on any major platform. In fact, even the dodgy ones like Tate, do not talk much about women. He is mainly a motivational speaker who claims he can help boys raise their status by getting rich and he also promotes physical fitness. Many boys like his acerbic commentary about society and message that only raising your status matters in improving your life. They haven't imbibed any messages from him normalising violence against women.
"I find this highly doubtful."
Me too. I'm surprised it's only 25%.
Note that no consideration is given to the most important question which would be "why". As with out of control male suicides we're not allowed to ask that question.
Tell me a male a male influencer aside from Tate who could possibly be claimed to condone violence against women?
The vilification doesn’t much matter - only a complete girl needs a politician or a media “personality” to validate them.
What bothers me more is the sheer galloping multidimensional insanity of the world I find myself living on the fringe of.
Amongst the many crimes against humanity which the Woke inflicted upon us - climate alarmism, transexualism - the sort of “land rights for gay whales” rubbish we use to giggle about in the olden days, for me the worst will always be the retreat from the Enlightenment, from a real understanding of scientific method, and how we learned to actually build knowledge in a reliable, replicable predictive manner. But once again, the cult of the “expert” whose opinion is far more important than empirical evidence.
The world has become, once again, infested with Woke sheeple, like prison trusties happy to put the screws on the ordinary people if, in return, they can bathe in the approval of their perceived betters.
Of course the vilification matters. It alienates men and especially young men from society and is a constant irritation to many of us. I find it so annoying I have started trying to avoid mass media altogether during the regular outbreaks of anti-male hysteria. It also creates anti-male attitudes among women which causes them to act in ways that are harmful to themselves and to us. Most of my male friends feel the same.
I was willing to put up with feminists' criticisms until the early nineties when they started going after boys.
I so love your work Bettina.
I once applied for a job there as I was unemployed and needed a job. Over half the staff were female, I got ghosted after the interview and the whole vibe was a pyramid scheme. The last people to get help from the branding exercise that is Movember are the ones in actual need.
I'm astonished to discover that Movember has a female CEO. So men are raising money to help men, and then a female CEO is handing it over for a campaign to vilify men and boys. Amazing.
You're forgetting that men are bad and women are good. Men commit violence against innocent women. So it's only fair that men should pay for harm reduction programs to “help young men and boys foster healthy, respectful relationships as part of efforts to end gender-based violence.” And since you can't put the inmates in charge of the re-education camp, it must be run by women. Simples!
Reminds me of the old 19th century nursery rhyme that asks:
What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice, and everything nice; That's what little girls are made of.
And then the accepted corollary:
What are little boys made of? Frogs and snails, And puppy-dogs' tails; That's what little boys are made of!
So really still perpetrating the myth.
Well, not a myth.
Frogs, snails, and particularly puppy dog tails are clearly structurally superior.
The Problem is obviously, that most women will not study STEM, no matter what incentives are offered.
What a shocker! I can’t say I’m all that surprised, although selling out to the appalling Albanese "gendered violence" nonsense crowd really sticks in the craw. I’ll be resolutely keeping myself clean shaven in November. It’ll be NO-vember for me.
Do we know if movember is transparent and how does a NFP hand money to the Gov? It is usually the other way around. Who are the men at the top of the organisation giving money to demonise boys?
It turns out that the current CEO is a female as are at least half of the senior execs. I suspect that the government asked for this money and will give more back to them with the other hand, but I still agree it is totally unacceptable for them to be supporting what is effectively a feminist-female cause hectoring men with scarce funds that were donated for men's health.
The current CEO was selected by UN Women to present a feminist perspective on "men's issues".
https://www.centreformalepsychology.com/male-psychology-magazine-listings/world-mental-health-day-2023-isnt-a-male-friendly-perspective-the-best-approach-to-improving-mens-mental-health
That is a great article and website you linked to - thanks.
Yeah, I saw Movember hosted a talk on stereotypes of masculinity where 4 out of six panelists (including the Movember CEO) were female! lol. You could never imagine men convening a public discussion of femininity where most of the speakers were male. It would go viral for its presumption.
The subject of mental health has in the past been stigmatised , thankfully this is changing, more open and honest discussion is needed, there is still lots to learn .
But if you just want to talk about mens mental health then you must take into account the affect on men of being the cannon fodder and scapegoats of empire building and wars .
In WW1 it was common for 10 or 20 thousand men to be killed in one day on the killing fields of Europe. But the horror of this was downplayed by governments , these men were not seen as “victims “ they were “heros” they died for King and Country, they were immortalised in a list of names on some war memorial somewhere , their families encouraged to be proud of their “sacrifice”, and certainly not complain about losing an only son or maybe an only child.
If this is how Western culture regards men , as disposable items ,then is it any wonder men suffer from mental issues.
But the same feminists who demand equality are silent when it comes to the touchy subject of gender equality on the battlefield. Maybe in the interest of fairness women can go and fight the next war and the men can stay at home .
For one Zac Seidler is Global Director of Men's Health Research at Movember and deeply embedded in the feminist/DV power structure. For example he was recently appointed to Albo's review into prevention approaches mentioned in Bettina's last article.
https://www.pm.gov.au/media/working-end-violence-against-women-rapid-review-prevention-approaches
didn't Bob Hawke want to end Child Poverty? How did he go??
Also: prevent gender-based violence
I find the wording strange..I'm a human being not a gender...
we live in strange times...
"Who are the men at the top of the organisation giving money to demonise boys?"
Presumably the very same beta simps who pander to women every day of their pathetic lives and vilify other men and boys to signal their virtue and win female approval.
I'd like to know that too.
Wow and WOW!
I had no idea about this and will immediately seek Movember comment on these allegations. This is serious misuse of donated funds. It just so happens I am managing a deceased estate where donations are to be made to worthy charities. Movember was way up there for a planned donation. I do not agree to ANY donated monies being funneled back via Albanese government into whacky "male re-education programs" designed by the well-funded DV industry, most of whom are women with a one-eyed agenda.
Glad for the heads-up, arrived in time!
Thank you!
Steve, could you think about donating the funds to Dads in Distress. https://parentsbeyondbreakup.com/dids/
This is one of the few organisations actually helping men, particularly men facing the crisis of relationship breakdown. They went through a ridiculous rebranding exercise - hence ParentsBeyondBreakup - to try to get some government funding by helping women as well but that didn't work. They get hardly any funding from the government and do important work with men. Let me know if you'd like to talk to someone there. Please email if you would like to discuss.
Sent email
I just received response from Movember group Comms manager, an extract below confirms Bettina’s report…….
Regarding your question about the recent media coverage, I’d like to provide some clarity. Movember is partnering with the Australian Government, committing $3.2 million towards an initiative aimed at helping young men and boys foster healthy, respectful relationships. This is part of our broader effort to address gender-based violence, which we believe is crucial to improving men’s mental health and well-being. The funding is directed towards a partnership with the Department of Social Services (DSS), focusing on preventive measures to create a positive impact on future generations.
The specific programs funded by this initiative are designed to equip young men with the tools they need to develop healthier relationships and ultimately contribute to reducing violence. This initiative also involves research into how online platforms, including media environments and the 'manosphere,' affect the mental health of young men. By creating a community of practice across Australia, this partnership seeks to develop evidence-based strategies that will guide future funding and service delivery in promoting healthy masculinities. You can find more detailed information about this initiative on our website here.
If you're that into virtue signalling that you'll grow a moustache for a month to show everyone, you're basically a woman anyway.
I can't say I'm surprised. Movember didn't 'smell' right from the start, which is why I've never participated or given them a cent.
I think they were alright at the start and I've given them money every year but I'll stop now. It's the classic process where a good organisation gets "captured", especially once it starts dealing with government.
We'll have to agree to disagree. Movember has always avoided the elephant in the room, which is the systemic discrimination against men and boys in almost every sphere of public life. It has always been ideologically suspect. I'm genuinely sorry that you were misled.
I've been drawing attention to the state of play for boys and men since the nineties but was never sure about Movember either. I simply couldn't put my finger on what bothered me. Maybe my radar's better than I thought.
It doesn’t surprise me that this ‘Movember’ charity is really a fake. It is worth reading Gary Johns’ 2017 book analysing the ‘charity’ racket in general. After reading it I came to regard ‘charity’ organisations with a very jaundiced eye, especially when I realised how incompetently one particular fund-raising organisation for cancer was being run after I was slightly involved in raising funds for it on behalf on my then local member of parliament.
There are tens of thousands of registered ‘charities’ in Australia, and many of them seem to be rackets that exist mainly to provide fat salaries or political dividends to those that run them. The salaries are labeled in the accounts as ‘administrative costs’ - all subsidised by the taxpayer because charity funding is ‘tax deductible’.
Below are the details of Gary Johns’ book - he was a minister in the Hawke Labor Government in an era when the Australian Labor Party still went through the motions of representing working class Australians, and before they were infiltrated and then finally taken over by hard-core neo-Marxist Green fellow travellers – a process that picked up steam once the Soviet Union collapsed and the two Communist Parties in Australia dissolved themselves. (Yes – there were two!).
The title of the book and its publicity description from the Amazon page are as follows:
“The Charity Ball: How to Dance to the Donor's Tune” – published 2017.
- “Too many charities in Australia do little or no charity work, too many receive most of their income from the government and too many lobby government for more. Gary Johns analyses the charity sector and concludes that a better-informed donor is essential to drive better charity.
Gary Johns has produced a forensic examination of a problem that is as endemic in Australia as it is in the UK. Political activism by state-funded charities is a potent - and growing - threat to democracy in the West. This important book provides countless examples of charities going beyond their remit while blurring the lines between civil society and the state in a manner that will shock many of their unwitting donors. – Christopher Snowdon, Research Fellow, Institute of Economic Affairs, London
Drawing on his experience as a government minister, party operative, think-tank guru and media commentator Dr Johns advocates for more information so donors can make better informed choices about the destination of their dollar. Fundraisers among others will find some of his recommendations challenging but he is to be commended for pushing the debate beyond yesterday’s one-size-fits-all solutions such as league tables. – Rob Edwards, Chief Executive Officer, Fundraising Institute Australia”.
"Too many charities in Australia do little or no charity work, too many receive most of their income from the government and too many lobby government for more."
Therein lies the racket. Raise money to continue lobbying for more money. It's a money-go-round whose only purpose is maintaining the lifestyles of the operatives. "Laundering" is an apt description. Governments should NEVER give money to such organisations.
Labor governments always give away huge amounts of taxpayers hard earned , it shows their contempt for the working classes and taxpayers , no working class men or women should even consider voting for the leftie elitist ALP , as it is today.
Certainly no men should be voting for them. The party was created by working class family men, a demographic they now seem to hate with a vengeance.
I grew up in an extended family which has been the backbone of the ALP in central Victoria since federation. My father, a regular office bearer in local branches, turned his back on the party during the early nineties. I've since learned to trust his judgement.
The ALP is now the party of the professional ,educated , left leaning elite , who look down on the working class .But they still regard themselves as socialists even though they have portfolios of rental property , shares , big super from highly paid public service jobs or similar ,ie . lawyers etc.. Hypocrisy in truck loads , if only they could see it.
But history repeats and Albenese's government could see a swing against it similar to what the Whitlam government saw in 1975 , both notorious for reckless spending .
I used to give regularly to charities and thought that I was helping to change the world.
I think it was in 2012 that I ran into a friend and we walked across the intersection in front of the Sydney Town Hall to the Queen Victoria Building. I saw a Salvation Army person collecting money for returned soldiers. I indicated that I might donate a dollar or two.
My male friend questioned me: 'why would you do that?'
I questioned him why he said this, and his reply was something like: "you have already paid for the military and the wars with your taxes and why would you give again??"
Since this encounter I've rarely given to charities anymore, if at all. I've assisted Refugees to learn English instead and maybe that included having a coffee or ice cream. I gave of my time and enjoyed the connection.
More recently I decided to donate small amounts to the likes of Bettina or Janice Fiamengo or Tom Golden.. they are much better at being Mens Issues Advocates than I ever will be.
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A question I ask myself when feeling like I should donate, is: if this was not tax deductible would I still give?
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"When they receive government grants, as many do, there is no longer anything "nongovernmental" about them. And some big ones, in turn, fund government operations."
(Stephen Baskerville mentions this is his latest book 'who lost America?' in talking about NGO's)
Thanks Bettina,
I've cancelled my ongoing donation to Movember.
I now realise it's a sophisticated version of the infamous NGOs of Cambodia whereby they harvest stacks of money from supportive donors and then spend little of it as claimed.
In this case to spend $3m - a huge sum of money for a donor-supported organisation - on a cause with no direct benefit to men is gob smacking.
Their monthly email updates report little progress on men's health and wellbeing but I've always put this down to their small size. It seems they are capable of much, much more.
Does anybody know of another organisation that genuinely advocates for men's issues, and needs some financial support? (Relax, Bettina, you're already on my list :-))
Rhys, I mentioned above that I think Dads in Distress is one of the few good organisations genuinely helping men - https://parentsbeyondbreakup.com/dids/ - at their greatest time of need. However they are doing very little advocating because they get a pittance from the government. All our key men's organisations that are taking money from the government have been muzzled. I will be writing about this soon. Please send in information that is relevant.
I wouldn't be so fast. I agree that funding that propaganda campaign is disgraceful but it is a drop in the ocean of what they have spent on men's health programs ($128 million raised last year with 3/4 spent on health programs). I bet the disgusting Labor government demanded it as a trade-off for funding some of the much larger demands Movember is calling for in men's health. Labor is keen to pretend their feminist campaign also helps men, so they would pay a premium for Movember's rubber stamp.
Thanks Duncan. Men are falling behind because women are doing a far better job of advocacy. Whatever else Movember are doing, they're not advocating for men.
If they are indeed spending $90m on men's health programs I've seen little news or evidence of it in spite of receiving their monthly member updates.
Your comment about Labor arm twisting is probably correct (although as I recall, it was John Howard who taught the govt how to deal with social organisations that want to rock the boat). Going along with it is poor activism though.
"Men are falling behind because women are doing a far better job of advocacy."
Translation: Men are falling behind because women are doing a far better job of badmouthing men to governments, than we could ever do of defending ourselves.
I agree but sophisticated advocacy involves positioning yourself as being sympathetic to the government-of-the-days' ideology, or at least not wildly out of step. Movember could easily find itself being ostracised in the current anti-male social climate, and even being shunned at a company level where is does its fund-raising - for only supporting men. Look at their annual report and see all the money they give to male-specific cancers and suicide prevention. I don't like the woke messaging they are adopting but I do see some strategic validity in it. All of the male organisations I support, to be effective, have produced some messaging around "healthy masculinity", which I detest but which is needed to shake some money out of the government. If you don't give money to Movember, who are you going to give it to? Hopefully Bettina's new project, but until we know more Movember is pretty much all there is.
The term "healthy masculinity", in the absence of any corresponding term "healthy femininity", simply reinforces the dogma of "toxic masculinity", which ignores or pretends that toxic femininity does not exist.
I agree with your first point that the term "healthy masculinity" is a passive aggressive one that immediately implies the existence of unhealthy masculinity. It is an important point. If the the idea of encouraging "healthy femininity" was being bandied about, it would be immediately understood as an attack upon women whose version of femininity was deemed unacceptable. If the people using the term were men, it would be viewed as extremism.
I applied the same logic many years ago when I became a feminist ... no big deal, I was happy to be supportive and thought my support might be appreciated. I'm still waiting for the appreciation.
Actually let’s just take back the ABC!
Former Labor voter here. This current government disgusts me.