White Ribbon Day focus on healthy, respectful relationships

25 November 2015

White Ribbon Day focuses on healthy and respectful relationships

Taranaki DHB is supporting the week of White Ribbon Day, Wednesday 25 November, with a number of displays at Taranaki Base Hospital, including three 18-metre white ribbons outside the main entrance of Taranaki Base Hospital and two exhibitions in the main foyer.

The ‘Silent Shoes’ exhibition consists of 16 pairs of women’s shoes, 11 pairs of children’s shoes and 5 pairs of men’s shoes, all painted white to represent the most recent annual statistics released regarding people who have died in New Zealand as a result of family violence.

Marianne Pike, Taranaki DHB Violence Intervention Coordinator said, “The aim of the White Ribbon campaign is to share the message that violence towards women is never OK. This includes not only physical violence but emotional and verbal behavior used to control someone through fear.”

The focus for this year’s campaign is ‘healthy and respectful relationships’, which aims to change attitudes and behaviours to encourage respectful relationships between men and women.

“We want to undermine the social norms of men who support violence, and to strengthen and promote male norms that are non-violent. Individual men are encouraged to make it clear that they will not tolerate violence towards women by challenging the attitudes and behaviours of other men that underpin all violence,” added Ms Pike.

Rosemary Clements Taranaki DHB acting CE said, “In addition to supporting the White Ribbon Campaign, Taranaki DHB provides a Violence Intervention Program (VIP) which works to reduce and prevent the health impacts of violence and abuse through early identification, support, assessment and referral of victims presenting at our hospitals to specialist community organisations.”

“The Emergency Department (ED) is our first point of contact with people experiencing family violence, and our staff routinely offer support to all women, men and children who we suspect are victims of family violence,” added Mrs Clements.

This has been incorporated into the White Ribbon display, with a glass jar in the foyer filled with a marble for every person who has been asked family violence screening questions in ED since May 2015.

Students from Inglewood High School have provided art work for the ‘Lost Child’ art exhibition, which depicts the effects of family violence on children.

Taranaki DHB staff will be available in the main entrance to explain the white ribbon banners and provide more information about the White Ribbon Campaign and art exhibition.

About the White Ribbon Campaign

Violence is endemic within New Zealand with one in three women experiencing violence from a partner in their lifetime, while on average, fourteen women are killed each year by a member of their own family.

White Ribbon Day on 25 November celebrates the many men willing to show leadership and commitment to promoting safe, healthy relationships within families. It also encourages men to challenge each other on attitudes and behaviours that are abusive.

As part of the White Ribbon Campaign men are asked to take The Pledge - to never condone or remain silent about violence towards women: www.whiteribbon.org.nz/act/the-pledge/

The White Ribbon Campaign originated as a men’s movement in Canada and is now part of the United Nations annual calendar. The Families Commission took a leadership role in New Zealand in 2006 and the campaign now focuses on the whole of November, culminating on 25 November – White Ribbon Day.

Where to find help for family violence:

• It’s Not OK 0800 456 450

• Women’s Refuge 0800 733 843; or visit the websites:

• www.nnsvs.org.nz

• www.areyouok.org.nz

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