November 25th is marked internationally as White Ribbon Day, a day where across the world the focus is on preventing violence against women.
In Shropshire and the rest of the West Midlands, and across the world, women and girls are unable to live the lives they want to lead because of violence and the fear of violence and harassment. Most violence against women and girls is committed by men – and we live in a world where this is normalised and even encouraged in some situations.
This is an opportunity for all of us, to stand up to men’s violence against women and girls and show a united front.
The message of White Ribbon UK is that ALL men can make a difference. Every year in England and Wales around 150 women are murdered by men, many of whom were a current or former partner. Things that may be dismissed as ‘small’ acts - sharing sexist jokes at work or in group chats, catcalling women in the street, or staring at women in a pub – all contribute towards creating a culture of fear and misogyny. This is unacceptable.
White Ribbon Day 2022 coincides with the Men’s World Cup. In July, we saw a huge outpouring of support for the England Women’s team. It seemed as if there was a real shift towards equality in sport. It was wonderful to see so many men were taking a positive and supportive interest. We need to build on that momentum as we approach the Men’s World Cup. Sadly, it is an appalling reality that major sporting events see a rise in domestic abuse incidents. The behaviour exhibited by some football fans in pubs, clubs and public spaces can also be extremely threatening and alarming for women. It doesn’t have to be like this.
Sport can be a place where men can be their best selves – where they can learn to nurture traits that they take into all parts of their lives. Throughout the Men’s World Cup, White Ribbon UK are encouraging all men to nurture 11 of these traits, one for every member of a football team.
The traits, which you will also see on the accompanying poster are:
- Caring
- Empathetic
- Reflective
- Gentle
- Courageous
- Resilient
- Reliable
- Hopeful
- Principled
- Supportive
- Ally
It is important that we understand the difference we can all make to ensure our culture is of respect and equality. We also need to create this same culture amongst our own friends and communities. If you follow the Men’s World Cup, within your team, as well as at home, we urge you look out for examples where these traits are shown.
If you are a male or female currently experiencing domestic abuse – please reach out and seek help - you can speak to the Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service (SDAS)
In Shropshire we have a voluntary perpetrator programme and have just expanded this scheme to operate a self-referral line. If you are aged over 18 and male and are worried that your behaviour is having a negative impact on your relationships or you are harming those you care about, you can now make a self-referral to Richmond Fellowships behaviour change programme
Referrals can be made via our Domestic Abuse Portal: https://darichmondfellowship.org.uk/