White Ribbon Campaign
 | |
| Abbreviation | WRC |
|---|---|
| Formation | November 1991 |
| Founder | Jack Layton, Ron Sluser, Michael Kaufman[1] |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Purpose | Ending violence against women |
Executive Director | Todd Minerson |
| Website | whiteribbon |
The White Ribbon Campaign (WRC) is a global movement of men and boys working to end male violence against women and girls. It was formed by a group of pro-feminist men in London, Ontario in November 1991 as a response to the École Polytechnique massacre of female students by Marc Lépine in 1989. The campaign was intended to raise awareness about the prevalence of male violence against women, with the ribbon symbolizing "the idea of men giving up their arms."[2][3][4] Active in over 60 countries, the movement seeks to promote healthy relationships, gender equity, and a compassionate vision of masculinity.[5]
History
Much of their work centres around gender violence prevention which includes educating and mentoring young men about issues such as violence and gender equality. Men and boys are encouraged to wear white ribbons as a symbol of their opposition to violence against women. They are particularly encouraged to wear these during White Ribbon week which starts on November the 25th which is the UN Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.[5]
The White Ribbon Campaign is active in over 60 nations across the world including Canada, Australia, Pakistan, Italy and the UK.
Rival organisation
In 2014 the anti-feminist organisation A Voice for Men launched the rival website WhiteRibbon.Org, adopting graphics and language from the White Ribbon Campaign.[6] It is owned by Erin Pizzey and has the slogan "Stop Violence Against Everyone".[7]
The site presents views that domestic violence is perpetrated equally by women and men.[3] It was harshly criticized by Todd Minerson, Executive Director of White Ribbon, who stated that the AVFM White Ribbon website is a "misguided attempt to discredit others" and urged its supporters to "not to be fooled by this copycat campaign".[8]
References
- ^ "White Ribbon Campaign: 20 Years Working to End Violence Against Women". michaelkaufman.com. November 24, 2011.
- ^ "Men wearing white ribbons". CBC. November 27, 1991. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved March 7, 2007.
- ^ a b Filipovic, Jill (24 October 2014). "Why Is an Anti-Feminist Website Impersonating a Domestic Violence Organization?". Cosmopolitan. Hearst Communications. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ Blake, Mariah (January 2015). "Mad Men: Inside the Men's Rights Movement—and the Army of Misogynists and Trolls It Spawned". Mother Jones.
- ^ a b "Who We Are". White Ribbon. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- ^ McDonough, Katie (October 23, 2014). "Men's rights group launches creepy website to co-opt respected anti-violence campaign". Salon.
- ^ About WhiteRibbon.org: WhiteRibbon.org, owned by domestic violence pioneer Erin Pizzey
- ^ Jones, Clay (23 October 2014). "White Ribbon Copycat Statement". WhiteRibbon.ca.