Two Western Australian educators who experienced the damaging effects of traditional masculinity in their own school days have been honoured as the 2026 Young Australians of the Year for WA after creating a groundbreaking mental health service for boys.
From Personal Struggle to Statewide Impact
Dr Haseeb Riaz and Gareth Shanthikumar received their prestigious award on Thursday night, recognising their work with ManUp, the not-for-profit education service they established in 2020. The organisation challenges traditional masculine stereotypes and provides young men with healthier ways to discuss emotions, relationships, and modern manhood.
Both men attended all-boys schools where they witnessed firsthand how silence and toughness were valued over emotional expression. Dr Riaz recalled developing misogynistic views with little accountability, while Mr Shanthikumar described how suppressed emotions led to anger and eventually self-harm.
"I was in a pretty dark place," Mr Shanthikumar revealed. "I didn't know how to express my feelings, nor did I feel comfortable talking to anyone about them. That suppression led to unhealthy behaviours, which at my lowest point turned to self-harm."
Creating Safe Spaces for Vulnerable Conversations
Since its inception, ManUp has expanded significantly, with dedicated volunteers facilitating 45,000 sessions and reaching 22,000 boys in schools and communities across Western Australia. The program works with students from year five to year twelve, creating guided peer-to-peer conversations in safe, non-judgmental environments.
The organisation's approach focuses on early intervention, helping boys develop healthy attitudes before harmful masculine norms become entrenched. Students participate in small groups of 8-12 with a facilitator, exploring topics across three key areas: male culture, relationships, and coping strategies.
"Looking back, what we wish we had growing up was some kind of opportunity in a preventative atmosphere to talk about these things," Dr Riaz explained. "The most powerful mechanism for that to happen was through peer-to-peer conversation."
Combating Toxic Online Influences
The founders say their work has become increasingly urgent as platforms like TikTok and Instagram expose young men to damaging content from red-pill influencers and toxic masculinity communities.
"With more extreme opinions going viral, we're seeing a lot more Red Pill community, where men are isolating themselves and thinking that they don't need women," Mr Shanthikumar observed. "We've had many sessions where we've seen boys swearing at girls that walk past our workshops, calling them slurs."
The program addresses these behaviours directly while exploring their underlying causes. "We obviously call them out on everything," he added. "But we also dive into why they do that? Again, it's just highlighting the need for healthy role models."
Expanding Their Reach Nationally
Despite their significant achievements, both men insist ManUp is only beginning its work. They hope the Young Australian of the Year recognition will help expand their reach across the country and secure sustainable funding for preventative masculinity services.
Mr Shanthikumar expressed hope that the award would bring "more awareness to the work we do at ManUp, more reach so we can speak to more students across the country, and overall help us with long-term sustainability."
Dr Riaz added that at the core of their mission remains a simple goal: "We just want to keep speaking to boys... keep giving young men the space we never had growing up."
The 2026 WA award recipients join other distinguished Australians being honoured, including Dr Daniela Vecchio as Australian of the Year, Professor Kingsley Dixon AO as Senior Australian of the Year, and Frank Mitchell as Local Hero.
