White Ribbon commenced in 2003 and is Australia’s only national male led campaign to end men’s violence against women. It is the vision of White Ribbon Day that all women live in safety, free from all forms of men’s violence. It’s making women’s safety a man’s issue too.
The Forbes Domestic Violence Committee decided to take a proactive approach to this issue three years ago and organised the White Ribbon Day March. The March gained a lot of support from the community and was a very successful event.
Last year ultra-marathon runner Kirrily Dear used the march as the finishing point for her Run Against Violence, a 860km run over 12 days. The run aimed to get everyone talking about steps they can take to end domestic violence.
“In Australia, one in four children is exposed to domestic violence,” says White Ribbon Australia CEO Libby Davies.
“Over 12 months, on average, one woman is killed every week in Australia as a result of intimate partner violence. Alarmingly, this figure is rising. A woman is most likely to be killed by her current or former male partner in her own home.”
“We all like to think that all of us, our family, our friends, colleagues and neighbours, are safe at home. Most of us believe this is a basic human right and would be outraged if it were taken from us. But sadly, for many of us, this is not always the case,” Libby said.
The White Ribbon Day March will be held on Wednesday 25th November, commencing at 10am in Spring Street, travel down Lachlan Street, into Court Street for the official ceremonies in Victoria Park. Michele Harmer from Binaal Billa would have more information on 1800 700 218.