Violence Against Women Affects Us All
On Friday 25 November 2011, IEU members are urged to wear a white ribbon.
Why wear a white ribbon?
Wearing a white ribbon is a personal pledge demonstrating that the wearer does not excuse violence against women, and is committed to supporting community action to stop violence against women.
Australian women’s lifetime experience of violence
Every week in Australia, one woman is killed by her current or former partner, often after a history of domestic violence. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006) record:
· 40% of women have experienced violence at some time in their adult life;
· 29% women have experienced physical assault;
· 17% of women have experienced sexual assault;
· 16% have experienced violence by a current or previous partner in their lifetime; and
· Since the age of 15, one third of women (33%) have experienced inappropriate comments about their body or sex life, one quarter (25%) have experienced unwanted sexual touching, and one in five (19%) have been stalked.
The origins of white ribbon day
In 1991, on the second anniversary of the massacre of 14 women by a lone gunman in Montreal, Canada, a handful of Canadian men initiated a White Ribbon campaign to urge men to speak out against violence against women.
Wearing a white ribbon, particularly in the weeks leading up to the anniversary of the women’s deaths, represented men’s public pledge never to commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women.
That first effort achieved the distribution of 100,000 white ribbons to men across Canada, and promoted widespread community discussion about violence in personal relationships.
In December 1999, the 54th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 54/134 declaring November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. In doing so the United Nations General Assembly stated that, “Violence against women constitutes a violation of the rights and freedoms of women … there is a need for a clear and comprehensive definition of violence against women, a clear statement of the rights to be applied to ensure the elimination of all violence against women in all its forms, a commitment by States …and a commitment by the international community at large to the elimination of violence against women.”
The White Ribbon Campaign has now spread to countries on every continent, and commences each year on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The focus of the White Ribbon campaign is to encourage cultural change so that physical or psychological violence is never seen as acceptable. In particular, the White Ribbon campaign is implementing a range of programs in schools, sport and workplaces to promote non-violent relationships and to empower boys and men to speak out against violence.
Making violence a thing of the past
If we are to move our society forward and prevent violence against women from occurring, we must speak out and take action to challenge attitudes and behaviors. Wearing a white ribbon on 25 November is a first step.
Resources For further information and support material on White Ribbon Day, go to http://www.whiteribbon.org.au/resources