White Ribbon Day is the largest effort by men across the world, working in partnership with women, to end men's violence against women. White Ribbon Day is held on November 25 each year, designated by the United Nations in 2000 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW). The day relies on support from men and women and their organisations and from business, industry and government.

White ribbons are worn on the day by men who want to encourage other men to speak out against violence towards women, and by women who are supporting men. The sale of ribbons supports activities on the day to promote community commitment to ending violence in men’s and women’s relationships.

How did IDEVAW start?

In 1991, a group of Canadian men began a campaign to urge men to speak out against violence against women. The group adopted the wearing of a white ribbon as a symbol of men's opposition to men's violence against women. That first effort distributed 100,000 white ribbons to men across Canada, and promoted widespread community discussion about violence in personal relationships.

Why wear a white ribbon?

Wearing a white ribbon is a personal pledge that the wearer does not condone violence against women, and is committed to supporting community action to stop violence by men against women.

Men who wear a white ribbon demonstrate their opposition to violence against women and their commitment to equality between women and men. Men of all ages, from all workplaces, of all political affiliations and of all racial, ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds, sexual orientation and physical ability are needed to help establish community leadership to stop violence against women.

Violence Against Women in Australia

Australian research has established that:

• more than 1 million women have experienced violence during a relationship with 60% reporting that they lived in fear during the relationship
• 23% of women in a current relationship, or who had been in a relationship, experienced physical and/or sexual violence from a partner
• 20% of women who experienced violence were pregnant when violence first occurred
• 67.6% of women who experienced violence said their children had witnessed the violence (Women’s Safety Australia, ABS 1996)
• the average direct cost of services for each victim of domestic violence was just over $51,000 per year in 1988, and
• domestic violence generates enormous costs for the health sector and the legal sector (second only to traffic accidents in taking up police time) (Roberts 198
• domestic violence significantly disrupts employment and business productivity with direct and indirect costs to business estimated at $1.5 billion annually, (Henderson 2000)
• there are significant costs in income and other support for women who are unable to obtain or keep a job in the wake of leaving a violent relationship.

UNIFEM and the White Ribbon Day

UNIFEM Australia is one of 19 international committees for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which was established by the UN General Assembly resolution in 1976 following the 1975 UN First World Conference on Women in Mexico City. Since then, UNIFEM has worked to help improve the living standards of women in developing countries and to improve the physical security of women through the elimination of all forms of violence against women to transform development into a more equitable and sustainable process. UNIFEM also works to strengthen women's economic security and rights and to increase women's participation in governance and peace-building.

UNIFEM Australia Incorporated was formed in 1990 and is run by a voluntary national committee of 12 women from the non-government sector, community organisations and corporations. UNIFEM Australia has made the White Ribbon Day one of three national priorities for action, and is working in partnership with other organisations and individuals to provide support to men, men’s organisations, business, industry and governments, across Australia, to achieve nation wide action and leadership to eliminate violence against women in our society.

make sure you wear your white ribbon on the 25th of november. REAL men don't hit women.