Navigating fatherhood will be spotlighted at a conference focused on exploring ways men can be supported to thrive as dads.
The Fathering Summit, hosted on Thursday in Sydney, will explore the future of fatherhood in Australia, with experts, MPs and advocates to discuss mental health, healthy masculinity and raising boys.
Movember global director of research Zac Seidler will take part in a panel alongside Man Cave CEO Ben Vasiliou and Lads Need Dads founder Sonia Shaljean.
Mr Seidler's own experience becoming a father at the beginning of 2026 opened his eyes to the challenges of modern fatherhood.
"There is a clash between modern and traditional ideas around fatherhood and current concepts of masculinity can be very confusing to navigate," Dr Seidler told AAP.
"There is a lack of a manual about how to navigate that time and forge this new identity as a dad when you have all these conflicting pressures."
A report by the Fathering Project on the state of the world's fathers recently found Australian dads are confident, emotionally engaged and want to be present in their children's lives.
But they are being held back by entrenched gender norms, financial pressures and systems that limit how much they can be part of the daily care of their children.
The report also found barriers to fathers' caregiving were not only related societal to attitudes but structures such as workplaces, policies and systems that are failing families.
Almost half of fathers surveyed in the report said they struggled to balance their job with familial care responsibilities.
Women surveyed were more likely to reduce their work hours or stop working entirely while men were more likely to work overtime.
Dr Seidler said it was clear that structural and societal changes were needed, rather than just expecting individuals to change.
"Telling dads to do more or do things differently is not the solution, we have to make sure the world around them does things better," he said.
"We also need to recognise that the brains, lives and interactions of men actually do shift extensively following the birth a child and if we do not understand that and seek to support men through that transition period, it has serious implications."
Parenting expert and author Maggie Dent, federal MP and special envoy for men's health Dan Repacholi and NSW Women's Safety Commissioner Hannah Tonkin will also appear at the summit.
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