2500 Empty Shoes: A Mens Suicide Perspective

2500 Empty Shoes: A Mens Suicide Perspective

On Sunday, 19th November (International Mens Day), 2500 shoes were laid on the lawn on Parliament House as Australia’s largest visual display of the growing epidemic of male suicide in our country. Each shoe was a representation of men and boys lost in 2023.

Blokes Advice, one of Australia’s largest online mens groups, along with a dozen other grassroots organisations including Are You Bogged Mate? and Mothers Of Sons, worked to raise awareness of the issue and causes.

Despite a growing social awareness of mental health, the numbers of suicide has been rising in recent years with 75% being males in 2022. The age-standardised suicide rate increased by 2.7% for males from 2021, while the rate for females decreased by 3.3%.

Many shoes had photos & notes given by loved ones of the blokes they have lost.

Matty, Sam & Rob representing for Blokes Advice.

A sea of shoes on the lawn in from of parliament was a powerful image.


Mary from Are You Bogged Mate - an organisation all about  helping country blokes talk about mental health and suicide while spreading awareness about depression in the bush.

TikTok Garry from Hope Cartel teaming up for the cause.

Huge thank you to the entire Blokes Advice community for getting involved with sharing our posts over the past few weeks. Every share helps get this message out to the masses. We all know it's not weak to speak, but it f'kn hard but we're all here to help brothers make it a little easier.

Reference: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/causes-death-australia/2022

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