AFC Totton
The White Ribbon is the globally recognised symbol to end men’s violence against women and girls. Since the inception of the White Ribbon movement 34 years ago it has become an important symbol in the fight to end gender-based violence. The day is always marked on the 25th of November.
Allyship is a central message of the White Ribbon; it represents men taking responsibility to challenge this issue and being allies, every day, to stop violence against women and girls before it starts.
Why is White Ribbon Day important?
· 1 in 4 women will be a victim to sexual assault or attempted assault in their lifetimes. (National Audit Office, 2025)
· 39% of secondary school teachers said they are aware of at least one incident of misogynistic behaviour from a pupil in the last week. (BBC, 2025)
· 3 in 5 women have experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse in the workplace. 3 in 5 have experienced 3 or more incidents of bullying at work. (Trades Union Congress, 2023)
White Ribbon UK’s Approach
Is preventative, focussing on supporting individuals and organisations to intervene before harmful attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls can take place. This is called primary prevention; we want to stop violence from happening in the first place.
It is collaborative and focused on positive culture change. Not all men are violent, but all men have a role to play in preventing and, ultimately, ending violence against women and girls. Through our work, we encourage men to learn about the gender norms and traits they embody and how these impact women and understand the difference they can make by being allies.
While the focus of White Ribbon Day is men’s violence against women, all genders can be victims or perpetrators of violence and sexual offences.
Local support is available through agencies such as STOP Domestic Abuse who are at the stadium today also Yellow Door and Hampton Trust.
