White Ribbon Day

25th November 2005 was the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Men and women across the world use this day and the sixteen that follow it to bring this issue into the spotlight. The 16 days of action end on 10th December, International Human Rights Day, to help people recognise violence against women as a human rights issue.
Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, has called violence against women 'the most shameful, and perhaps most pervasive, human rights violation in the world'.

The White Ribbon campaign was first launched in the UK in 1998. The spirit behind White Ribbon Day is one of international collaboration by bringing together men and women from many different communities and backgrounds. It provides an opportunity for agencies, organisations and individuals to focus on a problem that affects all of us, wherever we live.

Across the world, violence against women causes more deaths and disability among women aged 15 to 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents or war. This violence includes rape, psychological abuse, forced prostitution, female genital mutilation, sex trafficking, 'honour' killings and domestic violence. White Ribbon Day is a way of raising awareness of the issues on a global scale every year.

The White Ribbon is a symbol of hope for a world where women can live free from the fear of violence. Men and women across the world wear a white ribbon as a personal pledge to challenge the acceptability of violence against women and to show their support of efforts in their own communities to end it.