The White Ribbon Campaign

Educators

The Ontario Trillium Foundation

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS?

I WANT TO DO SOMETHING IN MY COMMUNITY TO HELP END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. WHERE DO I START?

The basic approach of the WRC is for men (like yourself) to act as catalysts to get other men involved in working to end violence against women. Therefore, there is a two-fold purpose to community outreach: to reach as many men and boys as possible with our message, and to encourage as many groups and individuals as possible to get involved. Simply distributing White Ribbon flyers and pamphlets along with white ribbons in your workplace, classroom or community is a great place to start!

However, there are many ways to get our message out. You can distribute ribbons and flyers wherever people gather--at sports events, shopping malls, and through local stores and restaurants; put up banners or signs; arrange for public spaces to be decorated with white ribbons; organize fund raising events; and work with the local media. There is no end to what you can do.

When we talk to men we try to be friendly and positive. We want to strongly challenge ideas and behaviour that directly or indirectly promotes violence against women, but our goal isn't to "put down" others or engage in one-upmanship. (See the section below on encountering hostility).

Perhaps the most important thing to do is reach out to existing organizations in your community. Individually, you might be able to speak to 100 men in a week. If a school board and teachers gets involved, for example, they can speak to thousands or even tens of thousands of men and boys in a week.

Depending on the type of group, you’re asking them:

To help organize White Ribbon Week by ordering or making ribbons, distributing pamphlets, putting up posters, circulating notices to supervisors (or teachers or whomever), etc.

To officially endorse White Ribbon Week and encourage men in the community or workplace to wear a white ribbon.

To make a generous contribution to the local or national White Ribbon Campaign, and to contribute generously to local women's programs.

Work With Women’s Groups

Who knows better about the problem of violence against women than women who have survived abuse, who work in shelters, rape crisis centres, or women's advocacy, education, and counselling programs?

We're proud to be an organization of men doing this work, but we want to work in harmony and close cooperation with women. We want to be accountable for our work. That's where liaison with women comes in. This can take the form of meeting with the YWCA or the local women’s shelter in your community. It may simply involve talking about your White Ribbon plans with the women in your workplace to hear what they think of the initiative.

Meetings with women's groups are not to set policy, nor make decisions for the WRC, nor rubber-stamp your plans. Rather, they are an opportunity to get together with a group of women to evaluate your progress, talk about your plans, and get feedback. Request their thoughtful input, critical evaluations, and new insights that will strengthen your work.

And of course, it is always great to receive an e-mail or letter from someone who organized a White Ribbon Campaign in their community. We would love to hear about it! Tell us what you did, how you did it and what results you achieved.

HOW DO I GET GUYS INVOLVED?

The best thing to do is to try and appeal to them on a personal level. Let them know that the WRC is about making the world a safer place for the women and girls they care about. Indicate that, by encouraging men and boys to communicate in a non-abusive way, they may benefit from healthier relationships and ultimately healthier and happier lives.

We work to end the violence by asking guys to examine their attitudes about and behaviours towards women. We speak out against physical and sexual abuse and we do not support an environment where our mother/daughter/ sister/ niece/ girlfriend/wife or any other women are degraded with sexist jokes and language that demean and stereotype women. We work to promote true equality between men and women.

Let these guys know that it takes real strength to speak out on an issue that men have traditionally remained silent about.

If you know of any men that many of the guys look up to and admire, see if you can encourage that man to support the WRC and start speaking out on the issue. You would be surprised how many more men begin to take the issue more seriously. At the national office we recruit the support of Canadian male celebrities to help us spread the word. (see our poster Famous Canadian Men) You don’t necessarily have to recruit a super-star performer but getting your boss on board, the local minister, sports coach, school principal, captain of the football team or union leader will certainly help you to legitimize the issue to the guys you’re trying to reach.

CAN I INCLUDE VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN AND FAMILY VIOLENCE IN GENERAL WITH MY WHITE RIBBON CAMPAIGN?

Although woman abuse often entails child abuse and the two are many times intertwined, the WRC focuses on men’s violence against women. Child abuse and family violence in general are serious and important issues but the WRC focuses specifically on ending men’s violence against women because we are filling a gap that traditionally has existed in the work to end violence against women. Men, many times, have remained silent about the issue and the WRC’s job is to help break that silence and gather men in support of ending the violence. If you wish to focus on work to end child abuse, there are many wonderful organizations that specialize in this area and would be able to provide you with all the information you need. Contact your local Children’s Aid or Child Protective Service organization.

CAN WOMEN LEAD THE CAMPAIGN?

Many women have been the initiators of White Ribbon Campaigns in their communities. We appreciate and welcome the knowledge and leadership women have brought and continue to bring to the issue. However, we ask women to encourage the like-minded men around them to become involved in the shared leadership of the campaign. White Ribbon’s mandate of men working to end men’s violence against women is unique in that we ask men to speak out on the issue and encourage other men (through role-modeling) to do the same. This also helps break down the stereotype that men cannot help bring an end to violence against women and that violence against women is solely a women’s issue.

IF I RAISE MONEY FROM AN EVENT, WHO SHOULD I GIVE IT TO?

We encourage White Ribbon organizers to donate any proceeds from White Ribbon events to local women’s anti-violence organizations, such as rape crisis centres, shelters or educational organizations. Money raised locally should stay local. If you do decided to pass on some of the proceeds to the WRC National Office, that money will go towards providing further support to people working to spread the WRC message.

HOW DO I ORDER EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND RIBBONS FROM THE WRC?

The easiest and fastest way to place an order is through our web site at www.whiteribbon.com . With our secure server you can order and pay for the materials all at the same time.

As a second option, you can download an order form from the site (or call us to request one) and fax or mail it to the White Ribbon office.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I ENCOUNTER HOSTILITY WHEN SPEAKING ABOUT THE WRC OR ITS GOALS?

Remember that the purpose of any encounter--whether the person is very sympathetic or a bit hostile--is not to "win" an argument. It is to listen to other people's concerns, correct inaccurate ideas about the WRC, and to encourage men to get involved. Try to be friendly and positive and try not to get defensive.

The following are some common questions about the WRC:

Q: Are you guys male-bashers?

A: We don't think that men are naturally violent and we don't think that men are bad. The majority of men are not violent. Researchers have discovered many past cultures with little or no violence.

Q: "Just because someone cracks a joke about women, doesn't mean he's a rapist right?"

A: You can answer, "That's definitely true. But sexist jokes, pin-ups at work, sexual harassment, all help create an atmosphere where women are degraded and where violence against women has been socially acceptable."

Of course you can always refer to our literature especially What Every Man Can Do to Help End Men’s Violence Against Women, Frequently Asked Questions About the White Ribbon Campaign and It’s Time for Guys to Put an End to This (which seems to be very appropriate in challenging guys who think the problem of violence against women has been blown out of proportion)

CAN SOMEONE FROM THE WRC COME TO SPEAK AT OUR EVENT OR FUNCTION?

Although occasionally we may be able to respond to your request for a speaker, due to the sheer amount of requests and the limited resources of the national office, we unfortunately cannot guarantee a response.

HOW DO I FIND OTHER MEN AND WOMEN IN MY COMMUNITY WHO ARE ALREADY INTERESTED IN THE WRC?

See the section entitled “Find a White Ribbon Campaign Supporter” on the web site at www.whiteribbon.com.

DO I NEED PERMISSION TO USE THE WRC LOGO ON MY FLYERS OR WEB SITE?

Numerous countries around the globe have adopted the White Ribbon Campaign symbol

as a representation of men working to end men’s violence against women. The White Ribbon logo is a unifying image that symbolizes men of all cultures and backgrounds supporting the issue of ending men’s violence against women. That image will retain its meaning only if those using it adhere to the guiding principles and philosophy behind it. The WRC is happy to authorize the use of its logo for appropriate purposes. A simple outline detailing your intended use would be appreciated. This ensures consistency of the White Ribbon message.

IF I MAKE A DONATION TO THE WRC, WILL I GET A TAX RECEIPT?

The White Ribbon Campaign is a registered Canadian charity, therefore donations made to the WRC are only tax deductible if you posses Canadian source income. After making a donation of $10 or more you will receive a charitable tax-receipt in the mail in a timely fashion.

WHO CAN I CALL IF I AM A WOMAN BEING ABUSED?

Please visit the following web site to obtain the number of a shelter or transition house in your area: Transition Houses and Shelters for Abused Women in Canada

WHAT DO I SAY IF I KNOW A MAN IS ABUSING A WOMAN?

Please see our brochure “So, You Want to Say Something?”

White Ribbon Campaign
Toronto, ON Canada
Tel: 1-800-328-2228
Fax: 416-920-1678
info@whiteribbon.ca
www.whiteribbon.com