White Ribbon Day

I was walking along Riddiford Street in Newtown last Sunday and a lady approaches me and gave a small black card with an imprint “ Show you’re AGAINST violence TOWARDS women” with a white ribbon.

The lady also asked me to wear the white ribbon to show support for efforts to end violence against women.

I said “yes”.

I learned that every November 25 is a White Ribbon Day an international day when people wear a white ribbon to show that they do not condone men's violence towards women.

And I went to Civic Square and saw more than 100 men wearing white ribbon to show their support for the white ribbon campaign.

The recent New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey 2006 found that 26 percent of women can expect to experience violence by a male partner during their lifetime.

The White Ribbon Campaign was started by a men's movement in Canada in 1991 and has been officially adopted by the United Nations as its International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.