Today, 25 November, is White Ribbon Day. White Ribbon Day is about men standing up against misogyny and sexism against women. An environment where women are treated as less than men, as objects or something to be controlled, is an environment that fosters violence and abuse towards women.
We want to create communities where women are able thrive and fulfil their dreams. In order to do this we must challenge toxic masculinities and misogynist behaviour. The first step to doing is this if for men to speak up against sexist and misogynist actions.
Did you know..?
70% of women in the UK say they have experienced sexual harassment in public.
3 in 5 women have experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse in the workplace.
15% of women in England, and 17% of women in Wales have experienced online violence.
Nearly 24% of girls in mixed sex schools said they had experiences of unwanted sexual touching in school.
1.4 million women experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2023.
It starts with men.
In our Autumn 2024 issue of Livving Magazine we featured an interview with Caroline Grant, CEO of The First Step, the primary support charity for survivors of domestic abuse in Knowsley.
Domestic abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender, class, race or sexuality. And it’s not always or limited to physical or sexual abuse. It can be psychological or emotional, financial or economic, harassment or stalking. The majority of abuse is by a partner or ex-partner but also a family member or carer. You may have a feeling you or someone you love is experiencing abuse but aren’t quite sure.
Domestic abuse can be physical, sexual, financial, emotional, psychological. A person is being abused if they are scared to be themselves or they don’t do things because they fear what their partner might do.
Here are some examples of domestic abuse and signs someone is in an abusive relationship:
- physical – hitting, kicking, pushing, biting, strangling: you may notice bruises or other injuries and they may lie about how they received them
- sexual – forcing them to make or view unwanted videos or photos of a sexual nature, rape
- financial – controlling their finances, not allowing them to have any money or a job
- emotional – calling the person nasty names, partner withholds affection, making them feel they are useless and can’t do anything right
- psychological – the person may be very scared, nervous or distracted (the abuser can make threats to harm the person, making them scared to go anywhere or do anything).
Incidents may involve physical assault, damage to property, bullying, harassment, verbal abuse or insults, offensive graffiti or letters /text messages/ emails/comments over social media.
For more support or assistance, please visit the following links:
If you or they are in immediate danger, call the Police on 999. Try to speak to the operator if you can, even by whispering. You may also be asked to cough or tap the keys on your phone to answer questions. If you’re calling from a mobile phone and don’t speak or answer questions, press 55 or tap when prompted and your call will be transferred to the police. They will usually be able to find your location.