A Powerful Piece on Fragile Masculinity by Ann Wason Moore
At the beginning of this month, Gold Coast Bulletin columnist Ann Wason Moore published an article that deeply resonated with us, and with so many others working in the space of violence prevention and community education.
Titled “Forget Toxic Masculinity, Fix Fragile Masculinity,” Ann’s piece challenges the language and lens we often use when talking about men, boys, and violence, and instead shines a light on what’s really going on beneath the surface.
What Ann Gets Right
In the article, Ann argues that focusing on toxic masculinity may miss the mark. What we’re often seeing, she says, is something far more complex and far more urgent:
“If we want to strengthen our fragile boys – and by extension protect our girls – we need to take away the fear that drives them to dark places.”
Ann points to rising youth crime, school violence, and emotional detachment in young men not as symptoms of evil or aggression but as indicators of fear, pain, and confusion. Boys, she says, are often navigating a world that doesn't teach them emotional safety, vulnerability, or resilience, and instead rewards them for suppression, bravado, and anger.
It’s not about excusing harmful behaviour. It’s about understanding the root cause and then actively doing something about it. This way we can create long-lasting change that protects both our girls and our boys.
Check Out The Article In Full
Ann Wason Moore’s full piece, Forget Toxic Masculinity, Fix Fragile Masculinity, was published in the Gold Coast Bulletin on Tuesday, April 1st, 2025.
We encourage you to read it in full — it’s a thought-provoking, timely reflection on the challenges facing young boys today, and the cultural shift needed to keep both boys and girls safer.
Why This Matters to Fierce Females
At Fierce Females, we spend every day working with women and girls to build safety, confidence, and real-world tools to protect themselves, but we also know that the change has to start earlier.
We’ve long said: “Violence prevention starts before violence occurs.” That’s why we run school programs, work with universities and workplaces, and collaborate with frontline organisations and NGOs to provide self-defence education grounded in real-life awareness and early intervention.
We also believe in working with boys and men, not against them. Many of our workshops involve mixed groups because we know education and empowerment must be a whole-community conversation.
Ann’s article reminded us that the strongest communities are built when we tackle the cause and the consequence, and we’re so grateful for her voice in this space.
Exciting News: We're Next
Following this article, Ann interviewed our founder, Amanda Giblin, for a feature in a later edition of the Gold Coast Bulletin.
In that piece, we’ll be sharing more about the work Fierce Females does, the impact of our self-defence and support services, and why this mission matters. We’ll be highlighting the article here once it goes live – stay tuned!