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| Sunday, 28 November 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Make a stand against violence : Tie a White Ribbon... by Premila Canagaratna Most of us know that wearing a red ribbon signifies support for AIDS victims and that wearing a pink ribbon signifies support for those suffering from breast cancer. But how many of us know what it means to sport a white ribbon? Well read on and find out more.. History of the White Ribbon day and 16 days of activism White Ribbons are worn by men who want to encourage other men to speak out against violence towards women, and by women who are supporting these efforts by men. The tradition was born in 1991 in Canada, where a group of men began a campaign to urge other men to speak out opposing violence against women. The group adopted the wearing of a white ribbon on November 25, designated as White Ribbon Day, as a symbol of men's opposition to men's violence against women and promoted widespread community discussion about violence in personal relationships. From this local grass roots campaign was born an international campaign that has been accepted and promoted by the United Nations by way of declaring White Ribbon Day as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW). Since the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights held in 1993, women's rights have been recognised as human rights. Thus, 16 Days of Activism on Gender-based violence stretches between the IDEVAW and Human Rights Day, December 10, linking violence against women to human rights violations. Wearing White Ribbons during this period is a pledge to condone violence that disfigures women's lives. What is violence against women? Violence against women is not restricted to physical violence. It includes sexual assault, sexual harassment, psychological abuse, or emotional abuse. Emotional violence includes regular subjection to demeaning jokes, domineering forms of behaviour, and sexual harassment. Obviously some forms of violence have a greater physical or emotional impact than others. But the common thread that links all forms of violence is that all violence contributes to the very real fear and suffering that women in our society endure. The basic rights that most men enjoy - safety in their homes, ability to go out at night, a job free of harassment - are a source of fear for women in much of the world. In South Asia almost 50 per cent of women are subjected to violence. In Sri Lanka, studies have found that 60 per cent of women have been subjected to physical or sexual violence. The statistics for those suffering emotional violence would be much higher. How many women of your acquaintance have been sexually harassed when walking along the street in Sri Lanka? The problem occurs in one form or another right across society. And it has been found that often the fear is greatest in women's own homes. A common myth is that most violence against women is committed by strangers. In fact, women are most at risk from men they know-husbands, boyfriends, fathers, relatives, employers, and caregivers. This compounds the problem since it is much more difficult to talk about the violence you are suffering from when it springs from someone you know and love. Most men love and care about women. And yet frightening numbers commit acts of violence against the women they say they love. It occurs throughout the world, among the rich, the poor, and the middle class, and among those of every nationality, religion, and race. Some people believe that men cannot help being violent. It is 'in the genes' or it is part of 'being a man'. But they could not be more wrong. Men are not naturally violent. Studies over the past century have found that half of the tribal societies studied had little or no violence against women, against children, or among men. Furthermore, even today, in many countries the majority of men are not physically violent. If men are violent it is because they have been taught to be violent; being violent has been part of their socialisation process from a very young age. Unfortunately violence is the way many men think they should express their masculinity in a relationship. They learn to think of power as the ability to dominate and control the people and the world around them. This way of thinking makes the use of violence acceptable to many men. What can we do make a change? If we are to change and reverse this trend of violence against women the 'catch them young' approach may be one way of doing it. We need to focus on the children and socialise them in a way that will ensure that they know that violence is not acceptable. * Children need to be taught how to express their anger without resorting to violence. We need to make a conscious effort to talk to young boys and impress upon them the fact that violence is not the way to express masculinity or anger. * We need to show them that women and all human beings, for that matter, are their equal and need to be treated with respect. We need to impress upon them that behaviour that would denigrate women is not acceptable. * All of us adults who are parents, uncles, aunts, teachers and friends of young children, especially boys, must take on this responsibility and socialise them in a manner that will eradicate the menace of violence against women from our society. And of course the best way to teach is by example, particularly those set by the men in children's lives. The Message in the Ribbon So how does wearing a white ribbon help solve this huge problem? Well first and foremost it acts as a catalyst for discussion and debate amongst men and women everywhere. People are forced to re-examine their actions and the actions of those around them. Wearing a white ribbon is your personal pledge never to commit violence against women. It is a personal pledge not to condone acts of violence, not to make excuses for perpetrators of violence, and not to think that any woman "asks for it." It is a pledge not to remain silent. It is a pledge to challenge the men around us. In Sri Lanka, activities for White Ribbon Day has been supported by Oxfam GB. Over the last two years Oxfam has been organising 16 days of activism to work towards ending violence against women, beginning on White Ribbon Day (November 25) and leading upto International Human Rights Day (December 10). This year, too, Oxfam offices around the country are carrying out campaigns during this period to end gender violence. District offices in Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Trincomalee and Batticaloa will be hosting discussions on the issue among government and private sector, organising street drama in towns and villages and a drama competition, and will be distributing awareness material amongst the general public, schools and villages. In Colombo Oxfam GB is conducting an awareness raising programme through the media and is distributing white ribbons and information on the issue at Cargills Food City outlets in Staple Street, Nugegoda, Pelawatte and Mount Lavinia and at Laugfs Sun Up supermarkets on Havelock Road and Boralasgamuwa. So make sure you pick up your white ribbon on your way home. Wearing it will be your way of signing upto an ongoing effort to eradicate violence against women. |
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