How the White Ribbon Campaign Contributes to Personal and Social Change

First, it promotes personal change, in knowledge, emotion, and behaviour. In participating in the campaign, ideally, men learn about violence against women, they develop greater empathy for victims and awareness of the injustice that violence represents, and they improve their own treatment of women.

One of the ways this occurs is through wearing a white ribbon itself. When men take this simple step, we find ourselves having to explain to others what this ribbon on our shirts means. So we’re thrown into conversations where we’re forced to find a language to articulate our concern about violence against women, the reasons this matters to us, and what the campaign is about.

Participating in the campaign invites men to take simple, positive steps to be part of the solution. Find out about the violence that many women experience. Don’t condone the view that the victim is to blame. And check out how we treat the women around us.

Second, White Ribbon Day enables men as bystanders. It invites men to intervene in violent or violence-supportive behaviour by other men – as family members, friends, classmates, teammates, co-workers, or others. (Check out the Resource Kit for useful ideas on what you can do if you are faced with an incident of violence.)

Enabling men as bystanders helps to create a peer culture in which the abuse of women will be seen as unacceptable. It helps to reinforce norms of nonviolence, and to provide strong disincentives for violence. It makes it more likely that individuals who act in abusive ways will suffer loss of respect, friends, and status, and experience legal and nonlegal sanctions.
Third, White Ribbon Day draws on men’s roles as mentors, role models, and leaders. The campaign invites men to be a good role model, whether they’re a dad, a business leader, a teacher, a priest, or a coach. The campaign invites men to use these roles to set a good example, to shift masculine norms based on tolerance for violence, and to use their leadership to promote nonviolence and sexual respect.

Together, these efforts are intended to undermine the social norms and power inequalities that feed into violence against women, and replaces them with norms of respect and consent and gender roles based on non-violence and equality.

The White Ribbon Campaign complements other strategies of violence prevention: education in schools, services and programs for people at risk of perpetrating violence or being subjected to violence, and more.
In some countries, the White Ribbon Campaign includes such elements itself. So in Canada for example, WR participants have produced curricula which are being used in secondary schools. The Australian campaign includes a ‘social marketing’ component – television, print, and radio advertisements, produced pro bono by Saatchi and Saatchi, which will be placed in media around the country over the next two months. Other, equally important components of the White Ribbon Campaign in Australia include;
• Public presentations by Ambassadors and other supporters;
• Public events launching or supporting the campaign in cities around the country, including large events organised by the National Leadership Group and smaller events organised by community groups, schools, and others;
• The distribution of ribbons themselves, through stalls, shops, etc.;
• Other written materials, including a free postcard being distributed nationally, and the Resource Kit (available from the WR website);
• A website;
• An e-newsletter.

By Micahel Flood 2006

WHITE RIBBON DAY TEAM 

How Embarrassing: Privilege & Prejudice

If we broaden our definition of male violence against women, as something beyond using purely physically force to hurt a woman, we can begin to view it as both a cause and as an effect of unequal power relations between men and women.

We know that a person’s experience of inequality or their access to power or status in society is partially determined by gender. Other significant factors that impact upon our experience of privilege or prejudice include: where we live (rich suburb vs. poor suburb); our place of birth (1st World vs. Developing Country); our class (elite, upper vs. middle/lower class); our age (child/youth/aged vs. adult); our sexuality (homosexual vs. heterosexual); our ethnicity (majority or minority); our ability or disability, our first language, religion, education level and so on.

It is overly simplistic to blame all men for all violence against women, or to suggest that all men are consciously joined in a collective conspiracy to subjugate women. As outlined above there are a large number of complex factors that determine whether someone is privileged or marginalised within society. However, when I consider the factors that predispose a person either to privilege or prejudice, I am reminded of the advantages I have been afforded. Even though I may not feel powerful or privileged, I can see that I have been advantaged as a result of being born male, Australian, of Anglo-Saxon heritage, and English speaking. Even more embarrassing, is the fact that while I may ‘benefit’ from some of these privileges, others, often women, actually experience these as prejudice.

Wearing a white ribbon is about more than not being physically violent towards women, it means opposing the inequalities that privilege some at the expense of others. To seriously oppose violence against women is to promote gender equality, and to support human rights.

WHITE RIBBON DAY TEAM 

How Embarrassing: Violence Against Women

The most recent research indicates that anywhere between 40% (ABS 2006 Personal Safety Survey) and 57% of women (AIC 2004) in Australia have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence. These findings suggest that almost all of us will know a woman who has been affected by male violence.

As if these statistics are not embarrassing enough, remember that these surveys used a narrow definition of violence as being ‘physical’ or ‘sexual’. If we broadened the definition of violence, how many more women would we find are affected by male violence? For example, what if we were to consider the suppression of liberty, or freedom of movement as a form of male violence? How many women think twice about using public transport or walking home in the evening, because of the fear of physical or sexual assault? If we learned that a large number of women do fear male violence when walking or taking a train at night, as men, should we find this embarrassing?

This year, when we wear a white ribbon and pledge to not commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women, let’s reflect upon our own behaviour and beliefs. Let’s work together to make Australia more equal, so that the women in our lives, can get a ‘fair go’.  Are you embarrassed enough to take a stand?

WHITE RIBBON DAY TEAM 

Montreal Dec ‘89

In December 1989, Marc Lépine roamed through the buildings at the University of Montreal, calling out, ‘Bring me the women! I want the women!’ In each room, he separated the women from the men and shot them. He slaughtered 14 young women in total, before killing himself. Australian singer/songwriter Judy Small wrote a song [LINK: http://www.mysongbook.de/msb/songs/m/montreal.html] about it which asks essential but mostly ignored questions:

And don’t you wonder why, as you try to make sense of this,
Why is it always men who resort to the gun, the sword and the fist?
Why does ‘gunman’ sound so familiar while ‘gunwoman’ doesn’t quite ring true?
What is it about men that makes them do the things they do?

What is it about men? Why are we so much more likely to murder, to rape women, children and other men, and to assault partners we are meant to love?

The last thing we need is hordes of self-congratulatory men saying ‘of course I don’t support violence against women and kids’ — or, in the words of the Painters and Dockers [LINK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painters_and_Dockers] song, ’All men are bastards … except me.’

Wearing a white ribbon should mean taking responsibility for the attitudes, actions and inactions that contribute to sexism and male violence.

Author Ben Pennings (re-published in part with permission www.newmatilda.com)

WHITE RIBBON DAY TEAM

Violence Against Women is a Men’s Issue

In Australia, violence against women is often seen as a women’s issue. This makes sense, as its focus is the sexual and physical violence that women suffer. But I want to stress that violence against women is also a ‘men’s issue’.
Violence against women is a ‘men’s issue’ because it is men’s wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends whose lives are limited by violence and abuse. It’s a men’s issue because, as community leaders and decision-makers, men can play a key role in helping stop violence against women. It’s a men’s issue because men can speak out and step in when male friends and relatives insult or attack women. And it’s a men’s issue because a minority of men treat women and girls with contempt and violence, and it is up to the majority of men to help create a culture in which this is unacceptable.
While most men treat women with care and respect, violence against women is men’s problem. Some men’s violence gives all men a bad name. For example, if I am walking down the street at night and there is a woman walking in front of me, she is likely to think, “Is he following me? Is he about to assault me?” Some men’s violence makes all men seem a potential threat, makes all men seem dangerous.
Violence against women is men’s problem because many men find themselves dealing with the impact of other men’s violence on the women and children that we love. Men struggle to respond to the emotional and psychological scars borne by our girlfriends, wives, female friends and others, the damaging results of earlier experiences of abuse by other men.
Violence is men’s problem because sometimes we are the bystanders to other men’s violence. We make the choice: do we stay silent and look the other way when our male friends and relatives insult or attack women, or do we speak up? And of course, violence is men’s problem because sometimes we have used violence ourselves.
I’ve come to realise that violence against women is a deeply personal issue for men, just as it is for women. I’ve been saddened to realise how many of the women I know have had to deal with childhood abuse, forced sex, or controlling boyfriends. I’ve felt shock and despair in hearing about the harassment, threats, and humiliations that women experience far too often. I’ve felt angry at the victim-blaming I’ve sometimes heard from male colleagues and acquaintances. And I’ve been humbled and shamed in realising my own ignorance and in reflecting on times when I may have been coercive or abusive.
At the same time, I’ve also felt inspired by the strength and courage of women who’ve lived through violence. I’ve found hope and energy in participating in a growing network of women and men who’ve taken on the challenge of working to stop violence against women. In making personal changes and taking collective action, I’ve found joy and delight in the enriching of my friendships with women and men and my relationships with women.
Author: Dr Michael Flood (re-published with permission)

WHITE RIBBON DAY TEAM 

Song: White Ribbon Day

Thanks for your comment Katie, we hope that your presentation at school on Monday about the White Ribbon Campaign went well.

Your comment about a White Ribbon Day song got us searching. We came up with White Ribbon Day by Martin Smith of the British band Delirious – is this right?

‘how can it be that God is just?
When flesh is torn from young and old
And children run in bloody fields
Where is the hope?
Oh God we pray for White Ribbon Day’

From what we can gather, this song was first written in 1996 about conflict in Northern Ireland; it was later offered by the band as a free music download to mark the events of 11 September 2001. 

The song acknowledges violent conflict, but holds out hope for peace.

In Australia, a violent conflict is waged by some men against women everyday. A nationally representative study has shown that anywhere between 40 - 57% of  women will experience physical or sexual violence by a man at some point in their lives (http://www.whiteribbonday.org.au/Statistics-36.aspx).

Violence against women is a hidden violent conflict,  committed by a minority of men, who commonly hurt women in secret, away from the public view. As men we need to make it clear that violence against women is never acceptable. We wear the White Ribbon to show our hope for violence against women to cease. 

We hope that the guys at Katie’s school promote peace by wearing the White Ribbon on 25 November and by taking the pledge to not commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women.  

WHITE RIBBON DAY TEAM

White Ribbon Day 2007 Campaign Blog reopening soon…

Hello everyone and thank-you for taking the time to stop by the official blog of the White Ribbon Day Campaign.

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the blog during the 2006 campaign this blog will be reopening soon to provide a platform for discussion around the issue of violence again women.

 In the interim please visity the White Ribbon Day website for further information or contact our public relations agency Text 100 on 02 9956 5733.

Cheers,

The White Ribbon Day team.