01 Nov White Ribbon
Taranaki Safe Families Trust have been busy throughout the year promoting family violence prevention and spreading awareness. We are into the final quarter now and it’s time again to push one of our flagship events – The White Ribbon Campaign. White Ribbon month is November and for our next couple of articles we want to mention what White Ribbon is all about and then what events the community can be involved in.
The White Ribbon Campaign (WRC) is a global movement of men and boys working to end male violence against women and girls. White Ribbon Day is November 25th and is symbolised by a white ribbon that people wear to show their support.
As always, we will acknowledge that family violence whether physical, sexual or psychological is perpetrated by all groups in society, not just exclusively men. However, the sobering truth is that men are overwhelmingly the main perpetrators of family violence. In this country annually, an average of 14 women are killed by their partners or ex-partners. 1 in 3 women will experience some sort of sexual and physical violence in their lifetime. Over 3,500 convictions are recorded against men each year for assaults on women, and only an estimated 20% of abuse cases are reported.
It’s no longer enough to just be content with you not being a perpetrator of family violence. We need to stand up, speak out and act appropriately to change the culture for all of society. We need to break the silence around family violence. Change our way of thinking from “It’s none of my business what goes on in the neighbour’s house” to “I care about the safety of everyone in my community”. Whether you are a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, grandad or friend – we all have women in our lives that we love and wouldn’t want to see subjected to violence.
WRC aims to change men’s attitudes and behaviours, predominantly through men talking to men. Men are role models for our children. We need to nurture a culture that encourages respect and rejects violence. Keep an eye out for White Ribbons in your area and be part of the solution. Your community needs you.
Dane Haskell
Co-ordinator
Taranaki Safe Families Trust
Email: tsft@xtra.co.nz