Structural and economic barriers are standing in the way of men’s participation in the paid sector, according to new research, challenging long‑standing assumptions that men avoid such work because they perceive it as conflicting with their masculine identity.
The new study from Monash University offers critical insights into how to attract and retain men in the care sector.
Men make up just 20 per cent of the Health Care and Social Assistance workforce across Australia, an area that is in desperate need of more workers now and into the future.
“The men we spoke to were not grappling with care work as a threat to their masculinity,” Lead researcher Professor Steven Roberts said.
“They were grappling with insecure hours, low wages, and a labour market still shaped by gendered assumptions about whose income is expected to support a household.”
The two core barriers identified in the research were low and insecure pay and a widespread lack of understanding of the group’s nature and complexity.
The study was based on interviews with 41 men, across 13 focus groups and 32 follow-up interviews, with the focus groups exploring men’s experiences in low-paid care work, including the challenges and rewards, how they gon into the sector, what influenced whether they stayed, societal perceptions of men in care work and how masculine identity was navigated.
Participants agreed that frontline care work lacks the recognition and respect it deserves and that the pay is too low. They believed these barriers did little to encourage men to enter the profession.
Meanwhile, the enduring influence of the “breadwinner” narrative came up in the research, with the insecure nature of care work – including insufficient hours and fragmented rostering – limiting the potential for full time opportunities and making it difficult for men to meet traditional notions of the economic expectation tied to masculinity norms.
According to the researchers, the study indicates these pressures remain a decisive, yet often overlooked factor in the lack of men engaged in the care sector.
“What our participants showed us is that this isn’t about men rejecting care work, it’s about the economics of the sector,” Professor Roberts said.
“When you can’t secure full‑time hours or a liveable wage, it becomes almost impossible to meet the financial expectations still placed on men to provide the main source of income. This isn’t a matter of identity discomfort; it’s a structural problem embedded in how care work is valued and funded.”
So what can change the participation rate for men in care work? Structural reform is clearly essential, including greater pay, recognition and respect for everyone involved.
But the researchers also noted that young people need clear, early exposure to what care work actually entails, including why it’s a skilled and meaningful career for anyone, regardless of gender. They noted that school-based initiatives could play a key role in reshaping some of these perceptions.
“Most people only encounter care work when they need it, which means they rarely see the skill, judgement and complexity involved,” Professor Roberts said.
“If we want more men in care, we need to fix the conditions of care work — and we need to start earlier. Introducing young people to the realities and value of care work while they’re still in school could be one of the most effective ways to expand the future workforce.”