Men are told from a young age to “Man Up” 💪🏼.
But nobody ever teaches them what to do when they are “Man Down” 🤕.

“Man Up” is one of the most familiar phrases in any man’s life: toughen up, stay strong, never show weakness. Almost every man has heard it at a moment of vulnerability, and swallowed both his tears and his need for help right along with it.

“Man Down,” by contrast, is a military term for an urgent call: someone has fallen, and support is needed.

Placing the two side by side is an invitation: admitting you are “Man Down” is not failure. It is the first step toward seeing your situation clearly and asking for help. Real courage is not never falling. It is being willing, once you have fallen, to let others see you and receive their support.

Man Up ⬆️ Man Down ⬇️: Men, Masculinity, and Mental Health Awareness Month 🗓️, co-organised by multiple units at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, brings together an exhibition, workshops, talks, and a Human Library to explore, through the lenses of biology, psychology, anthropology, and sociology, the pressures men carry, the gender stereotypes that constrain them, and how we can open a more honest and open conversation about men’s lives.

Whether you are a researcher, student, social worker, educator, or simply someone who cares about these issues, you are warmly invited to join the conversation 🗣️.

🗓️ 13 April to 28 May 2026
📍 CUHK University Library
🔗 https://testysfdvg.my.canva.site/man-up-and-down-men-masculinity-and-mental-health

Events (registration links available on the website and via QR code):
1️⃣ 13 April — Opening Ceremony (in Chinese and English)
2️⃣ 13 April to 28 May — Mini-Exhibition “What Is a Man?: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Masculinity and Its Transformations” (in Chinese and English)
3️⃣ 13 April — Human Library Borrow a Life Story: A Gallery of Men’s Diverse Experiences (in Cantonese)
4️⃣ 14 April — Workshop The More You Say, The More You Risk?: A Workshop on Men’s Intimate Relationships (in Cantonese)
5️⃣ 17 April — Talk The Man Behind the Statistics: The Gender Politics of Mental Health (in Cantonese)
6️⃣ 21 April — Workshop Why Bother Talking?: A Men’s Intimate Relationships Workshop (in English)
7️⃣ 13 May — Talk Beyond “Toughing It Out”: Spotlight on Men’s Mental Health (in Cantonese)

Organised by the Faculty of Social Science, University Library, Gender Studies Programme, Diversity and Inclusion Office, and Equal Opportunities and Anti-Sexual Harassment Committee, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.