Monash University’s latest initiative to combat "toxic masculinity" in Australian classrooms has come under fire for conflating the views of Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate.

This project, involving the university’s Arts and Education faculties, aims to develop school-based programs to address the "harms of online misogyny and gender-based violence."

Funded by the National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS), the project provides teachers in independent and Catholic schools with conversation guides and role-play scripts.

It claims to target the spread of “toxic masculinity and misogynistic gender narratives” in classrooms, attributing these attitudes to influencers Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson, despite their differing perspectives.

Institute of Public Affairs Deputy Executive Director Daniel Wild criticised the project for failing to distinguish between the two.

“Any casual observer can see they have very different views and perspectives,” he said. Wild argued that terms like toxic masculinity and misogyny have become overly broad, losing their specific meaning.

ANROWS maintains that both Tate and Peterson promote content challenging gender equality, reinforcing traditional gender roles, and asserting male superiority.

Tate, a controversial figure, is known for his extreme views on women and faces serious criminal charges. In contrast, Peterson, a Canadian psychologist, advocates for personal responsibility and has a more nuanced approach to gender issues, focusing on mutual growth in relationships.

Dr Naomi Pfitzner, lead researcher on the project, stated that Australia is at a critical juncture in addressing the links between misogyny and "gender-based violence." She pushes the popular left-wing narrative that targets "misogynistic narratives by young boys and men online."

Dr Stephanie Wescott from the Faculty of Education added the claim that female teachers report rising incidents of sexual harassment by boys in classrooms. The project claims to equip teachers with strategies to "challenge harmful masculinist ideologies."

Despite these supposed intentions, Wild argues that the project undermines gender equality goals by targeting young men unfairly, causing societal division and resentment.

He emphasised that genuine gender equality should build up women without tearing down men.