‘We Speak Up’ – White Ribbon campaign urges everyone to unite to tackle male violence against women and girls

As a White Ribbon Accredited organisation, the council is asking all men and everyone to play their part by challenging abusive attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls, such as cat-calling, sexist comments and invading personal space.

The council’s White Ribbon campaign launches today (White Ribbon Day – 25 November) for two weeks and includes a social media video featuring male and female members of staff delivering a simple but powerful message – “Let’s speak up and call it out”.

Chiming with this year’s national White Ribbon Day theme – #WeSpeakUp – the campaign urges all men to take a collective stand, lead by example and challenge sexism, asking men to consider the serious consequences of allowing abusive attitudes and behaviours to go unchallenged within society.

Check out www.whiteribbon.org.uk/wespeakup and follow the council’s social media channels to support the campaign in West Norfolk. The campaign will also raise awareness of the valuable partnership support available to all victims of domestic abuse – both male and female – and the many forms it can take.

As a new White Ribbon Accredited organisation, the council is starting its journey to shape and implement a three-year action plan focussed around strategic leadership, engaging men and boys, culture change and raising awareness of the White Ribbon message among the wider community.

Councillor Jo Rust, Cabinet Member for People and Communities, said: “We are proud to be accredited and help the important White Ribbon message to reach further into our communities, encouraging all men and everyone to speak up and call out abusive attitudes and behaviours which have absolutely no place in our communities and society generally.

“Everyone deserves to be treated with equality and respect regardless of gender. Sadly, a minority of men let the side down, causing women and girls to feel fear and intimidation, and setting a dangerous example for the next generation. If such behaviour goes unchallenged, the consequences are significant: nearly every day there is another terrible, tragic case in the news.

“The vast majority of men exhibit all the right behaviours and we all have a responsibility to do the right thing and speak up. At West Norfolk, we have excellent joint-working and initiatives locally to support community safety, such as our CCTV Control Room and the Community Safety Partnership, but everyone has a part to play in tackling male violence, abuse and harassment towards women and girls.”

Lynne Elliot, CEO of White Ribbon UK, said: “This White Ribbon Day isn’t just about raising awareness - it’s about taking action. We know that there are already lots of men speaking up and showing that there’s no place for sexism in our workplaces, streets, or communities. We want even more men to join in. It starts with small actions, and it starts with speaking up.”

Cllr Rust added: “While White Ribbon Day itself is focussed on female victims, anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse in its various forms. It is estimated that one in four women and one in six men suffer domestic abuse at some point in their life. Unfortunately, abuse is often underreported.

“If you’re affected, please remember that you are not alone and support is available 24/7 to help you take that first step to safety. There are lots of different ways you can discreetly reach out for support.”

In an emergency, always call 999. If you can’t speak, call 999, listen to the call handler and answer questions, either by pushing buttons or coughing. If prompted, press 55 to let the operator know it’s a genuine emergency.

If you don’t want to speak to the police, contact the Leeway charity on 0300 561 0077 www.leewaysupport.org or NIDAS on 0300 561 0555 https://nidasnorfolk.co.uk Alternatively, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is free and open 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247. www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk