Page 3716 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 23 November 2022
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The men we are talking about are our fathers, brothers, sons, grandfathers, uncles and our dear friends. I would like to add three more facts and statistics to the ones my colleague has noted. Firstly, Australian men are more likely than Australian women to get sick from serious health problems, and their mortality rates are also much higher. Some causes of death are directly related to one’s sex—for example, men cannot die during childbirth, and women cannot die from prostate cancer—but men die in greater numbers than women from just about every non-sex-specific health problem. For every two women who die, three men die. Secondly, 96 per cent of people who die at work are men, with the most fatal occupation being machinery operators and drivers, followed by labourers. Finally, even in the case of children, boys account for two out of three deaths due to accidents or drowning.
There are many theories about why women enjoy better health than men, such as greater government investment in women’s and children’s health care; men being traditionally encouraged to perform higher risk jobs such as mining, logging and construction; and barriers to accessing health care professionals due to employment circumstances, particularly difficulties in receiving access to male doctors for intimate issues. As my colleague Ms Castley notes, it is critical that we examine the social determinants of health for men in the ACT and implement strategies that will ultimately promote the health and wellbeing of men and the rest of our community. For example, there is strong research-based evidence that demonstrates a direct link between employment status and men’s mental health as well as physical health. Men suffering from depression are twice as likely as depressed women to abuse alcohol and other drugs, which consequently leads to an increased risk of violent behaviour and attitude as well as suicide.
We know that men are the predominant perpetrators in cases of domestic violence, with women and their children as the predominant victims. We also know, from relatively recently collected national data, that LGBTIQ+ people report high levels of domestic violence, with men as the predominant perpetrators still. It is clear that when men in our community experience poor health outcomes, the harmful impacts disproportionately affect women, children and other vulnerable members of our community.
Our community has noticed the gaps in supports and services when it comes to looking after men. For years I have persisted in questioning this government about addressing the increasing demand for men’s counselling services. I would like to thank the local organisations that work tirelessly to support at-risk and vulnerable men such as Menslink, EveryMan, the Salvation Army, the St Vincent de Paul Society, Relationships Australia and DVCS. I am also grateful for organisations such as Men’s Shed, YMCA and other special hobby groups popular with men that promote their health and wellbeing. But I know, from speaking to these stakeholders, that more can be done, which this government has denied.
I would like to mention an initiative in my electorate of Ginninderra, which was recently featured in the media. The Belconnen Man Walk, was started by local resident Mr Craig Durbidge as part of a nationwide network. Every Saturday at 7 am, a group of local men meet in the front of the Lighthouse Pub on Emu Bank for a relaxing lake walk and talk, where they can warm up both physically and mentally.
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