The Hidden War

ABOUT The Hidden War

The Hidden War is aimed at raising awareness about mens mental health, suicide prevention, and toxic masculinity.

Through our conversations and research, we’ve seen that all people face trials or trauma. When these circumstances arise, men are often shamed for expressing emotions or breaking the silence when asking for help.

How can we start the process of recovery or find liberation when expressing feelings is seen as weakness?

This piece goes through a conceptual journey that represents all men. All men at some point or another have felt the pressures ‘to toughen up’, ‘be a man’, and ‘just get over it’. This causes men to hide their emotions or true identity in order to conform, and fit into societal ideals of what being a man stereotypically means.

Through this piece we hope to start some much needed conversations. How are we helping or hindering our men of Aotearoa to cultivate Hauora? What parts of male culture do we need to challenge, specifically in New Zealand?

It is not weak to go through struggles, it is not weak to talk, and it is not weak to ask for help.

To all men - young and old, whatever your life stage or circumstance; we see you, we value you, and we want to encourage you that there is always a way through any darkness.