What your organisation can do to support White Ribbon’s campaign to Prevent Men’s Violence Towards Women.

White Ribbon’s annual campaign promotes respectful relationships – to prevent men’s violence against women.

It’s a community effort that educates, increases awareness and builds commitment to respectful behaviour. Everyone can be involved!

Here are ten ideas on how any organisation can support White Ribbon’s respectful relationships campaign this year. This could be a business, a sports club, a school, a marae, a cultural or music group or a community organisation – anywhere people group together.

These ideas are general so they can be used by many different organisations, so think about what best suits your environment – tweaking them to your organisation will make it more effective at getting your people involved.

Take Part in the 2018 Campaign

This year we’re asking men (and everyone) to ‘stand up’ by taking the online pledge at www.whiteribbon.org.nz and committing to take one of eight actions.

The actions offer men choices – to listen, reflect, alter their behaviour, talk to others and disrupt negative behaviour – which build respectful behaviour that undermines violence.

Once they’ve chosen an action, they will receive an email linking them with a White Ribbon toolbox and a video with useful information on how to proceed and achieve their goal.

We’re asking everyone to do this from the 12th of November when we launch the campaign and then share on your social media and other communication channels The Pledge. Promotional material for sharing and promoting The Pledge can be found here.

Distribute and wear White Ribbon ribbons

Wearing white ribbons in November is the simplest way of showing support for respectful relationships and opposes violence against women. You can easily involve your people in wearing ribbons by explaining how White Ribbon’s messages fit with your organisation’s values. You can also distribute white ribbons to others your organisation encounters, such as customers or visitors.

Fabric and metal white ribbons are available from the online shop.
These along with t-shirts and posters are available now.

Display White Ribbon’s campaign messages

Each year White Ribbon develops new messages promoting respectful relationships. Posters are available for you to display where your staff or members, plus the visitors and the public can see them. They are available printed in Maori and English and for download in Japanese, Samoan, Mandarin, Pinjabi, Hindi, Fijian and Tongan. They show your organisation supports respectful relationships. T-shirts are also available for your people to wear as are flyers and other collateral.

Stand Up. This year the campaign is focusing on The Pledge and asking individuals and organisations to take the pledge online and commit to one action. The information will be provided to each person when they take The Pledge. There will also be a challenge to get other men and organisations signed up to The Pledge.

White Ribbon resources such as cloth ribbons, posters and t-shirts are available from our online shop.

Hold a White Ribbon event

Do something to draw attention to White Ribbon’s campaign and how your organisation supports respectful behaviour. This could be internal for your people, or involve your local community or customers.

Events are easy to organise, and volunteers are often keen to get involved. Something that reflects your organisation will attract interest. See our events page for examples of community events – this will get you thinking about what might suit your organisation’s event.

• Organise a White Ribbon breakfast or morning tea
• Have a free screening of Raise Our Men (a White Ribbon Film)
• Invite A white Ribbon Ambassador to speak at a meeting/event
• Support an existing White Ribbon Event like the White Ribbon Ride
• Organise to collect valuable donations
• And make sure you provide the audience with an opportunity to take The Pledge either online or using a form here.

Involve your people in respectful relationships

Offer individuals the opportunity to take White Ribbon’s pledge: “I will stand up, speak out and act to prevent violence towards women”. This is an effective way for people to show their commitment to respectful behaviour. The pledge can be taken here.

Also get your people talking about what respect means to them and in your organisation’s environment. This could be at a meeting or part of training. For example, discuss the White Ribbon Respectful Relationships toolbox and what these behaviours means to people in your organisation. Focus on practical examples that will make it real. This is likely to improve your social environment.

Incorporate White Ribbon messages into your communication

Each year White Ribbon produces messages promoting respectful behaviour. You can show that your organisation supports these by including them in your communication – this could be internal to your members or staff, and out to others, such as customers or suppliers. You could show you support respectful behaviour by including messages in your public advertising.

White Ribbon’s campaign office can provide graphics you can use in email signatures. And see White Ribbon’s toolboxes for messages or for more details see our key messages.

Align White Ribbon’s messages with your organisation’s values

Look at how White Ribbon’s respectful messages align with your organisation’s values or mission. There are probably many ways they can work together to promote respectful behaviour that contributes to your success. Promoting how your organisation aligns with White Ribbon will motivate your people and show your community how you support respectful relationships.

Develop your own respectful relationship messages

Think about your people and develop your own messages they’ll respond to and which promote their respectful behaviour. Get these out during November to make respect real in your environment.

For ideas on respectful behaviour see White Ribbon’s toolboxes.

Celebrate your respect champions

You’ll have people in your organisation that role model respect. Acknowledging and celebrating them is a good way to promote respectful behaviour.

If you’ve got someone who stands out for modelling respectful behaviour and how they influence others, you can nominate them to be a White Ribbon Ambassador. Ambassadors embody the principles of White Ribbon’s respectful relationships campaign. Contact White Ribbon about this.

Check your policies and practices for respect

Check that your policies and practices identify and promote the respectful behaviour you expect of your people. Tweak them if need be, so you’re doing what you can to actively promote respect in your organisation and community.

White Ribbon has a business accreditation scheme which details actions businesses can take to promote respect and prevent violence. Contact White Ribbon about this or check out the web page.