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Council to launch White Ribbon campaign to end violence against women with support from local football team at the start of the FIFA World Cup
Date Posted: 4:20 PM on Tue, 15 November 2022
Gedling Borough Council is working with Carlton Town Football Club and local charity We R Here to end violence against women and girls by men as part of White Ribbon Day.
White Ribbon Day is a widely recognised global movement; in the UK, it is spearheaded by White Ribbon UK, the leading charity engaging men and boys to end violence against women and girls. This year’s theme is #TheGoal, as the day falls on Friday 25 November at the start of the World Cup, a time when violence against women and girls can increase.
This year, the council is aiming to get over 100 men to sign a pledge that they will never be silent or ignore violence against women. The campaign is being launched at the home of Carlton Town Football Club, where footballers will sign the pledge and promise not to be silent about the devastating effect of violence against women, before their next home game on Saturday.
Gedling Borough Councillors will also be wearing white ribbons at their next Full Council meeting on 16 November to show their support for this important cause. They are working with local charity, We R Here, who support women fleeing from domestic abuse, to help raise awareness of their project and highlight how they support survivors of abuse.
Portfolio Holder for Diverse Communities and Life Chances, Councillor Kathryn Fox said:
“It’s vitally important that we highlight White Ribbon Day and ask men not to standby and be silent and to end violence against women and girls. For many, the start of a football tournament as big as the World Cup should be an exciting time but, for some, it will be a time of fear of assault and violence so, we are delighted to be working with Carlton Town Football Club to raise awareness of this issue and get as many of them to make a pledge to end violence against women. We are also proud to be working with We R Here, who do an amazing job of supporting survivors of domestic violence.”
Hilary Brown, Founder of We R Here said:
“We support many survivors of domestic abuse and, unfortunately, domestic abuse helplines can see an increase in calls when there’s large events, such as a World Cup, as men will take out their frustrations on their partners. We really welcome this campaign to highlight this and even if it stopped one attack, it would be worthwhile and I am really pleased we can be part of this with Gedling Borough Council and raise awareness of our work, here in Gedling.”
Anthea Sully, Chief Executive of White Ribbon UK, said:
“This year, White Ribbon Day is focusing on the attitudes and behaviours men and boys can adopt to move away from associations to violent and abusive behaviour. “Men and boys are now expecting better from their colleagues, friends, and family to ensure women and girls are safe.
"We are inviting you to wear a White Ribbon and make the White Ribbon Promise, never to use, excuse or remain silent about men’s violence against women. She continued, “This year, White Ribbon Day falls on the same week as the launch of the FIFA men’s World Cup. There is never a better time for us to focus on the good that can come from unifying and supporting one common cause. #TheGoal does just that, it brings men and boys together to think about how they can make a positive difference to achieve equality and safety for women and girls.”
We can all make a commitment today by making the White Ribbon Promise never to use, excuse or remain silent about men’s violence against women –
https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/promise
This is an opportunity for all our colleagues and partners to stand up to men’s violence against women and girls.