Once again this year, North Ayrshire Council joins the worldwide White Ribbon Scotland campaign by pledging to never commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women.
The campaign runs from November 25, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (also known as White Ribbon Day) to Human Rights Day on December 10.
During the campaign, the Council and community partners across North Ayrshire will join forces to amplify the critical message that violence against women in any form is unacceptable, and encourage others to sign the online pledge at www.whiteribbonscotland.org.uk
The White Ribbon campaign is a worldwide movement which directly addresses men, ensuring they understand the scale of the problem and become part of the solution.
One example of awareness-raising on behalf of the Violence Against Women Partnership that the Council recently supported in was the creation of a Coercive Control YouTube animation – if you haven’t seen it yet, please watch below.
White Ribbon Campaign 2023
This year’s 16 Days focus asks everyone to take a moment and “Imagine a Scotland without Gender-Based Violence” – whether this is in relation to children and young people, our workplace environment or education.
And we can all play a part, no matter how small, to create positive change.
The aims of the Partnership are to:
- Raise awareness of issues around violence against women and girls
- Empower communities to challenge abusive and violent behaviour
- Provide information on the available support services available and
- Encourage support of the key VAWP campaign – White Ribbon 16 Days of Action.
The North Ayrshire Violence Against Women Partnership brings together partners that have a role in tackling gender-based violence and supporting those who are affected.
It includes the Council and representatives from partner organisations including North Ayrshire Women’s Aid, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
The National Violence Against Women Network hopes this year we can all contribute to making things better and #ChangeThe Story so that women and girls can live their lives free from the fear of violence.
Violence comes in many shapes and forms, including coercive behaviour and demeaning language, through to physical violence resulting in death.
Small changes can help make a big difference, and men can play their part by calling out behaviour like sexist jokes and harassment on public transport – so they are not seen as being acceptable and “the norm”.
The North Ayrshire VAWP has two events coming up as part of the campaign. These include:
- Hystayria Film Showing – A thought-provoking short film based on real stories of Ayr’s barbaric Witch trials.
The Ayr North Time Team, a group of local historians, teamed up with local film and theatre company The Iris, to transform their findings on the Ayr Witch trials into a theatre production to showcase to the community.
We invite you to the Harbour Arts Centre on Thursday, November 30 at 6pm for a viewing of this powerful film, followed by a Q&A session with the cast and crew to generate thought-provoking and impactful discussion regarding violence against women.
This is a ticketed event with limited spaces. If you would like to attend please book your ticket online at Ticketsource.
- Reclaim the Night walk – The annual ‘Reclaim the Night’ walk will take place this year on Tuesday, December 5. This year the walk will take place in Saltcoats, leaving from the Women’s Aid Hub (Vernon Street) at 5.15pm and will return to the hub for soup, rolls, tea, coffee and cake.
You can find out more about the upcoming during the White Ribbon 16 Days of Action campaign by visiting:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NorthAVAWP to spread the 16 Days of Action message far and wide;
- Or, by watching and sharing the Tackling Gender Based Violence video on Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/VAWPvideo