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I think one of the most challenging parts of working with men from different cultural backgrounds is to break through the barrier where they feel like they have been unfairly targeted and that they are actually the victims and and some of them have genuinely heartbreaking stories.
They've had challenges with migration.
They've had challenges with the mental health and obviously all the other accessibility issues of addictions alcohol, gambling, etc.
They're probably spending a large part of their early years here, rather than experiencing the culture here.
They're trying to set up a whole new life.
They're trying to become economically independent the stresses of doing that in a country or in a community where they have no built social capital is as much a challenge for the men as it is for the women, but for the men especially those coming from strongly patriarchal communities showing that and having the language to express that doesn't come easy. Which means that even though they may have seen signs that they need support, they don't have the language or asking support and they also don't know where to get support.
The challenge is to put some of your internal knowledge of the process that they've gone through aside and meet them where they're at.
Not being sympathetic, but being empathetic towards happened and keep bringing them back to the fact that perhaps this is not the life that they saw for themselves as well.
Sometimes getting them to see it is quite difficult.
And we do know that mental health for men is a lot more difficult to crack and get support for than perhaps for women and it's difficult for women from multicultural backgrounds as well.
It is a huge challenge.
I think to get men interested in programs like this very few men actually self-refer, which is the goal.
We want men to seek support before mental health is still a massive stigma in most migrant communities for in many languages the words for mental health is exactly the same word as it is for madness.
So in their minds, they're seeking support for something that's highly stigmatised in their own cultures and languages and even for mainstream communities the awareness around mental health particularly for men is relatively low with that additional challenge getting men interested in your programs is very very difficult.
I think we are still taking baby steps word of mouth is probably one of the most important essential ways in which to get men to get interested.
The other things that are being tried is working with community leaders creating safe spaces for men.
Talk about the programs and there's a few happening around Victoria now.
But normalising these conversations I think is what will be beneficial in the long run which we are there yet, but hopefully soon.