#StandupNZ

“White Ribbon is challenging non-violent men to stand up and take The Pledge,” says Rob McCann White Ribbon Manager. “Without the visible support of good men, we can’t hope to reduce men’s violence towards women.”

New Zealand has the highest rate of reported violence towards women in the developed world with 41% of front line Police Officers’ time spent on family harm. That’s over 118,000 family violence investigations in 2006, about one every five minutes!

“There are many reasons why men should help to end the violence,” says Mr McCann, “but the reality is that using violence in your life means everyone loses. White Ribbon promotes Respectful Relationships because it is a protection against violence and because it is good for men. Men are happier and have more meaningful lives when people love them, rather than fear them.”

Respectful relationships are based on:
• Equality between men and women. Gender equity in personal relationships, and all social spheres, reduces violence against women.
• Flexible gender behaviour for all. Having men break out of the Man Box and choosing their own masculine identity prevents their use of violence.
• Non-violent communication. Men being emotionally aware and expressive gives them alternatives to aggression.
• Enthusiastic consent for all sexual activities. Having willing participation is crucial to preventing sexual violence.
“This White Ribbon Day, as men we have an opportunity to make New Zealand a better place,” says Mr McCann. “Yes, ending men’s violence will help our mothers, our daughters and all the women in our lives, but it will also help men.”
“We need to live in a society where men are supported to be caring, express their emotions and give and receive love. The old stereotypes or the ‘man box’, where we’re told to harden up and don’t play like a girl, need to be rejected.”
When men take the online Pledge they will be asked to choose from one of eight actions which all support Respectful Relationships, and get men actively preventing men’s violence towards women. They will then receive information and a video about how to build that action into their lives.
“We can only achieve real change when good men stand up for what they believe,” says Mr McCann.
Take the Pledge at www.whiteribbon.org.nz

KEY STATISTICS
• New Zealand has the highest rate of reported violence towards women in the developed world
• Police investigated 118,910 family violence incidents in 2016 or about one every five minutes
• That’s 41% of a front line officer’s time
• One in three women will experience partner violence at some point in their lives
• Less than 20 percent of abuse cases are reported
• Approximately 3,500 convictions are recorded against men each year for assaults on women
• On average, 14 women a year are killed by their partners or ex-partners
• Between 2009 and 2015, there were 92 IPV (Intimate Partner Violence) deaths. In 98% of death events where there was a recorded history of abuse, women were the primary victim, abused by their male partner.
• Family violence accounts for half of all reported serious crime

KEY WHITE RIBBON MESSAGES
• Men Stand Up and prevent violence towards women. Encouraging men to stand up and speak out and act to prevent violence towards women by taking The Pledge and committing to take one of eight specific actions.
• Men back up their stand with real actions. White Ribbon supports men to commit to taking at least one of these eight actions to show their respect. They’re the right thing to do:
1. Listening and believing women
2. Reflecting on and changing their behaviour
3. Disrupting other men’s violence towards women
4. Treating women as equals
5. Choose how to be a man and how I will act
6. Talk to a young man about breaking out of the Man Box
7. Think about what they watch and the media they use
8. Talk with young men about respectful relationships and pornography
• Men who stand up show they respect women.
• Women have asked men to take these actions
• Men’s respectful behaviour prevents violence.
• Respectful relationships are based on: treating women as equals; choosing your own identities and behaviour to be your own man; using non-violent communication; and ensuring enthusiastic consent for sexual relationships. These actions prevent men’s violence towards women, and can make everyone, including the man, happier and healthier.
LINKS
Link to the Stand Up videos here
Link to the 8 Action Videos here
White Ribbon Images and Collateral here

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