Area men take aim at violence against women

Domestic Violence Community Response Project
News Release

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North Bay - A remarkable movement is taking place around the world, including in our own District of Nipissing. In almost 50 countries, men and boys are showing their strength by speaking out against the epidemic of violence against women by being involved in the White Ribbon Campaign. In 1991, a handful of Canadian men started the White Ribbon Campaign on the basis that men who do not use violence against women far outnumber those that do. They also found that most non-violent men had been silent about this violence and in their silence, had allowed the violence to continue. The White Ribbon Campaign has become a vehicle for men to break the silence and help end all violence against women.

The men and boys who are involved in this movement today are examining their attitudes and actions; asking important questions about creating healthier and happier relationships; and proudly joining women and girls to end the many forms of violence against women that are some of the most persistent human rights issues in the world today. The symbol of the white ribbon is both a personal and collective statement of a future with no violence against women.

The campaign begins around November 25th with men speaking out about ending violence against women, primarily to area youth. During the campaign, men and boys will wear white ribbons as a symbol of their intolerance for any form of violence against women. The campaign continues until December 6th, the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre. On that day in 1989, thirteen female engineering students were separated from male students and murdered by a man who resented women’s achievements and independence. Their lives were taken for one reason and one reason only, because they were women.

Although this is an extreme case, there are still men who carry the same deep rooted attitudes and beliefs as the murderer did on that day almost eighteen years ago. For most, however, the violence is manifested in more subtle and less public fashions. In Canada, most women experience violence from someone they know, primarily their intimate partners. The statistics state that in Canada, approximately 75 women die every year at the hands of their intimate partners.

“For those of us who believe that all people have the right to live free from violence, the White Ribbon Campaign is a bright shining star in the specter of social programming here in North Bay”, says Brett Greene, First Aid Coordinator for the Canadian Red Cross. “This campaign gives us a chance to set a good example for our brothers, our nephews, our cousins, our friends and even impressionable young strangers!”

This Thursday evening, September 13th, men, young and old, are welcome to attend an information session where they can learn more about the White Ribbon Campaign in Nipissing. The information session will be held upstairs at the Inn On The Bay, 340 Main Street West from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Light refreshments provided.

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