In 2025, White Ribbon Australia launched a new national campaign to reset the narrative: one that engages men not as passive bystanders or perfect allies, but as everyday individuals on a journey to become better.
Despite widespread public messaging around respectful relationships and gender-based violence, many men still feel disconnected from the conversation.
Through White Ribbon’s 2024 #WeListen campaign, made up of working groups and one-on-one interviews, men shared that they often felt disqualified from participating, confused about what a ‘good man’ looked like, and afraid that imperfection meant inaction.. Why? Because they didn’t believe they were “perfect” themselves. This fear of imperfection was quietly holding many back from meaningful change.
White Ribbon needed a new campaign platform, one that lowered the barrier to entry while raising the bar on collective accountability.
“Not Perfect, Better” repositions the idea of masculinity and self-improvement in a more honest and constructive way. It acknowledges the pressure many men feel to “get it right,” and instead invites them to do something far more powerful: keep trying. It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress.
The campaign focuses on four key relationships where men can be “better”:
These themes are supported by practical advice and everyday actions available at whiteribbon.org.au/not-perfect-better, and amplified via authentic storytelling, content partnerships, and national media.
“We’ve all done or thought things we regret. Every guy we heard from — from violent offenders to kids in schools — expressed a desire to be better.”
