White Ribbon Day

White Ribbon Day is inspired by The White Ribbon Pledge led by men who campaign to stop domestic violence against women.  Women might be the primary victims of this type of assault, but there is no reason why men can’t take a share of the responsibility in putting an end to it.  Clearly, many are committed to doing so.

Domestic violence statistics show that 70% of incidents result in injury and that on average, two women in England and Wales are killed by a partner every week.  But what does wearing a white ribbon really mean?  It says loud and clear that you will never condone, take part in or remain silent about domestic abuse against women.

The men involved in White Ribbon Day and the White Ribbon Pledge do not believe that violence is inherent in men carrying out the abuse.  Instead they believe that it is became a learned of expressing anger and to some extent has become acceptable to behave in this manner.  Interestingly, research has shown that previous cultures showed no or very little evidence of violence.

The effects of domestic violence affects everyone.  If you think about how many people are touched by one person – whether it’s at work, a relative or someone else you know, it’s an issue that ends up affecting first our communities, society and then places all over the world.  A domino effect.

The United Nations General Assembly has designated 25 November as the ‘International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women’.  From 25 November until 12 December 16 days of action take place – during this time men are asked to wear a white ribbon and pledge never to commit or remain silent about male violence against women.

Of course this issue is present all year round, and we never stop campaigning. But it is important to mark this period with events, presentations and a special effort to speak to family, friends and co-workers about why men must take a stand against violence towards women. Join the campaign today and find out how you can do more in your community to mark White Ribbon Day and the 16 Days of Action.

So what can you do to help stop this cruelty?  Well, the white ribbon campaign urges you to start with one of the 10 suggestions given on their website.  You can take action in just five minutes, a few hours or a longer amount of time if this is something you feel strongly about changing.