Equimundo is delighted to have the support of Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Nicholas Reece, for the MenCare Changemaker programme, our global initiative bringing together government, civil society, media, and more focused on system changes to promote caring manhood.
In an address last month, the Lord Mayor announced the city’s new position of chair of the City Hub and Network for Gender Equality (CHANGE), ahead of the upcoming Women Deliver Conference in Melbourne in April 2026. Equimundo and CHANGE will co-host a preconference at Women Deliver, called MenCare Cities: Engaging Men in Care and Violence Prevention Through Urban Design and Care Infrastructure. City leaders, urban practitioners, and gender equality advocates will come together at this event to help shape caring urban futures that include men’s engagement in care.
Mayor Reece will join mayor Joy Belmonte at this event to share insights on how Melbourne and Quezon City are emerging as leaders in creating more caring urban environments for all residents, while advancing innovative approaches to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.
Mayor Reece also expressed his support for Equimundo’s MenCare Changemaker Summit to take place in Melbourne in 2027 following the inaugural Changemaker Summit in Rio this May.
In support of the work Mayor Reece said: “We are passionate about engaging men and boys in gender equality and care work, because true equality requires everyone’s participation. We are excited to work closely with the CHANGE executive group and member cities to showcase the role cities play in shaping environments where everyone can thrive.”
In addition to being the chair city for CHANGE in 2026, Melbourne and CHANGE are also kickstarting a new MenCare Cities project. The MenCare Cities Initiative supports innovative projects that reshape urban systems so that men’s caregiving becomes visible, expected, and structurally supported, including that their own care needs are met. Beyond Melbourne Equimundo is implementing the MenCare Cities Initiative with partners such as CHANGE and Metropolis in several cities around the world, including the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, City of Medellin, and City of Montevideo among others.
