Wear a White Ribbon on 25th November

 

What? Not another one!

November 25th. Another date to remember. Another ‘awareness day’. So, why should you bother with this one? It’s a month before Christmas, and you’re probably thinking that you’ve got better things to do at this time of year.

‘For heaven’s sake’, you’re muttering to yourself, ‘can’t we have at least one day in the year without some kind of celebration, commemoration or appeal. And all these ribbons? Why?’

Look at them – pink for breast cancer, green for mental health, purple for LGBTQIA+Youth, even black for the anniversary of the fateful Molotov Ribbentrop Pact, and blue (which is proving to be a bit controversial for the police at the moment). Not to mention all those songs - like the Harry Belafonte weepie about scarlet ribbons, and that 1973 hit urging you to ‘tie a yellow ribbon round the ole oak tree’. Surely we’re all ribboned out by now?

And the days, the days – many of these of course are deeply embedded in our brains, whether we celebrate them or not. The world of commerce makes sure of that. Once Christmas is over, out come the Valentine cards, then the Easter Eggs are followed rapidly by Mothers and Fathers Days, with Halloween, Bonfire Night and Armistice Day galloping along behind. And dotted throughout the year are many simply ludicrous ones – National Chip Day and Stop Shouting Day, for example, and just in case you’re interested, November 13th is Odd Socks Day.

But that’s enough of the round up. Let’s focus on one, an important one, an international one, a life or death one. It’s time to get WHITE RIBBON DAY up into the premier league.

So why is White Ribbon so important?

A brutal event that sparked a movement

Following the savage massacre of 14 women students at a Canadian university in 1989, a group of pro-feminist men formed a movement aimed at ending male violence against women. They adopted the symbol of a white ribbon, to be worn particularly on November 25th, the UN Day for the elimination of violence against women and girls. Events held on White Ribbon Day are then followed by 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

White Ribbon is now a global movement involving 60 countries. This year the focus of the campaign is #ChangeTheStory, with an emphasis on how individuals and organisations can take action and challenge harmful attitudes and behaviours. Ending violence against women and girls can only be achieved through engagement with all members of society, especially men and boys. This is a crucial provision of the Istanbul Convention (a human rights treaty focusing on the prevention of violence against women), which the UK Parliament adopted a year ago.

In the UK, White Ribbon is the leading charity engaging men and boys in the campaign. They point out that sadly, most violence against women is perpetrated by men, whether a partner, ex-partner, colleague or stranger, and that it frequently starts at what many might consider to be a ‘low’ level:

‘Violence against women and girls can happen anywhere and takes many forms – from sexist jokes online to harassing behaviours on the train. Some behaviours may be dismissed as ‘small’ or ‘low-level’ acts: sharing sexist ‘jokes’ at work or in group chats; catcalling women in the street; or harassing women on a night out. These all contribute towards creating a culture of fear and misogyny that encourages violence and abuse against women. In spaces where these behaviours are normalised, it can lead to more extreme cases of violence’.

www.white ribbon.org.uk

How to get involved

The comprehensive White Ribbon UK website describes the different campaigns and suggests many ways for individuals and organisations to get involved in them. These range from making an individual pledge (see the wording at the end of this blog) to directions on how to gain White Ribbon accreditation for your organisation. Local councils, clubs, businesses and organisations are increasingly getting involved.

This year, throughout the 16 days of activism, White Ribbon UK will host a series of webinars, with sessions about their workplace programmes, transforming harmful cultures, the importance of male allies, and practical strategies to stop violence before it starts.
Many areas and organisations will also be holding vigils and events on November 25th.

And if you are in Milton Keynes?

On Saturday November 25th you can participate in an event starting at 4pm at The Gallery MK, where you can hear reflections, poetry and music before joining a torchlit procession to the MK Rose. At 6pm there will be an address by the Mayor of Milton Keynes and, to emphasise the importance of the moment, there will be a heroic attempt to wind a very long white ribbon right round the whole of the Rose area.

Forget the brash consumerism as Black Friday tries to hijack the weekend of November 25th. Come along to the Milton Keynes White Ribbon event and help to Change the Story.

The Pledge

‘I promise to never use, excuse or remain silent about men’s violence towards women’.