A statement from the Leader of Enfield Council, Cllr Nesil Caliskan and the Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Cohesion, Cllr Nneka Keazor.
White Ribbon Day begins on 25 November annually, and incorporates 16 days of action to end violence against women.
The first day of the campaign is recognised as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women continuing until Human Rights Day on 10 December.
Communities and organisations are encouraged to come together in support of the campaign to say ‘no’ to violence against women, and men everywhere are asked to recognise the necessity for them to stand up and take responsibility in working towards a future without violence against women. A first step towards this is wearing a white ribbon for the full 16 days, and making the promise to never commit, excuse or remain silent about male violence against women.
This year, Enfield Council has been working closely with our Enfield Youth Parliament to create a campaign to raise awareness around Women’s safety with a focus on challenging inappropriate behaviour. It has offered us a great insight as how our young adults perceive this vital issue.
A new campaign to inspire action, embed positive change and the opportunity for reflection will be launched on White Ribbon Day. Inspired by our work with Enfield Youth Parliament Members it will focus on personal safety (predominantly female) and challenging inappropriate behaviours.
We want to ensure the younger generation has a good understanding of the issues surrounding domestic violence. Women should be respected, have a human right to be independent, be confident and proud of their own self-worth, and know what needs to be done to change things.
We are happy to announce that Enfield Council remains a ‘White Ribbon Borough’ following renewal of our status in 2021. We were also the first London council to receive the title of ‘White Ribbon Authority’ which raises awareness of male violence against women and girls in 2010.
This year on White Ribbon Day we will be flying the White Ribbon flag outside our Civic Centre to show our continued support and commitment in ending male violence against women and girls.
We believe White Ribbon Day is a day to be recognised by everyone, in every community – please do what you can to raise awareness. To find out more visit https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/.
#whiteribbonday #16days #makethepromise