We need to end violence against children. Here's how you can help.

By SEAN HANLEY

Polished Man is a campaign that seeks to challenge men to end violence against children.  From 1-15 September, YGAP is challenging men to wear nail polish and fundraise towards prevention programs to address violence against children.

Below are stories of why two men have decided to don the paint…

Gyton Grantley (Actor): Why I’m a polished man

Nail polish is pretty. It’s colourful, bright and shiny. Applied well it adds beauty to the hand, adding an element of sophistication or perhaps being wild and free. Most importantly it gets noticed. Whenever a lady brushes her fingers through her hair, reaches for their glass or clutch, or offers their hand in greeting, I always notice if they’re wearing nail polish.

Imagine if it were a man. Not even a man, a bloke. A genuine hard working, joke telling, laugh sharing, knock about, thoughtful, caring, Aussie male. It would be a bit out of place right? A bright pink bit of paint brushed neatly onto the nail of a fellas pinkie would seem out of place. He certainly couldn’t blame it on the “house he painted on the weekend” who paints their house in a “Juicy Sangria”!?

It would definitely be noticed. And without doubt he would be quizzed as to its existence. This is why “Polished Man” is a great idea. By grabbing people’s attention, we can start the conversation about child abuse. Spread the word and awareness about injustices that can be helped and hopefully stopped. When asked to be on board as an ambassador i learnt a lot of the staggering facts related to child abuse in Australia and the world. It’s shocking and saddening. I’m in a position where i can call out to a great amount of people. I can say hey did you know that one kid in every classroom suffers a form of child abuse? I can ask others to realise and discuss amongst themselves, hopefully then sharing the conversation in turn. I’m passionate about this cause and i believe passion is most effective when shared. So I’ll be painting my nail, having the conversation and encouraging as many as I can to do the same.

Sean Hanley (YGAP CFO): Why I’m a polished man

I’m not an overly ‘feeling’ sort of person, and in fact my role as CFO at YGAP demands that I recess further away from such urges in order to think and provide advice from an objective point of view. A counterpoint if you will to many in the organisation who are driven by emotion.

That said; I am primarily involved in YGAP to make a difference. I have a number of organisations I work for or am involved in, but none compare in the purity of purpose that YGAP offers: to inspire and support people to bring about the end of poverty. From a pure mathematical point of view, the goal is folly, but luckily I subscribe to the idea: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Fundamentally, I believe small change can make a big difference. This was why I was captivated by the idea of the 5cent campaign enough to get it off the ground in 2012. At the heart of the Polished Man campaign, I believe the same applies: protecting the small people in our society today can make a massive difference in their and everyone’s future.

For me Polished Man is about bringing light to – and fundraising for initiatives to prevent the astonishingly high rate of abuse to children in our society. As a child who grew up in an abusive household, I have a personal understanding of what the campaign is trying to address.

I believe in being part of the campaign, I am providing a voice to the vulnerable in our society who cannot find theirs. I am actively contributing to the reduction (and in time, prevention) of child abuse in the world. For that, I am proudly shellacking one of my nails in September 2014.

To sign up, or donate to a polished man, click here