Media release
21st November 2008 - Hauraki Domestic Violence Intervention Network[1]:
Even the L bottle[2] will be wearing one, will you?
– White Ribbon Day 25th November 2008
Next week, all around the Coromandel and Hauraki regions, white ribbons will be flying, worn and displayed as our region
gets in behind International White Ribbon Day.
The 25th of November is White Ribbon Day, and is the largest effort by men across the world to end men’s violence
against women. Rachel Harrison, Coordinator of the Hauraki Family Violence Intervention Network, says
“Wearing a white ribbon shows that you will not condone violence towards women, and that you will stand up to violence
against women wherever you find it.
This year we would also like to take the opportunity to commend the many wonderful men who everyday create respectful,
non violent relationships in their families.”
White ribbons will be distributed on the 25th November in towns across Hauraki and the Coromandel Peninsula, with a
number of centres holding awareness raising activities.
Ms Harrison says,
”White Ribbon Day is a day to raise awareness about family violence, as most violence against women is perpetrated by
people they know, trust, and sometimes love. Family Violence affects a significant number of New Zealand women with
around 30% of women experiencing at least one act of physical or sexual violence from a partner in their lifetime3.
There is so much that people can do to stop family violence – from attending Living Without Violence Programmes, to
calling 111 if neighbours are verbally or physically violent, or even just wearing a white ribbon for the week – everyone can have a part to play in helping all our families to be safe.
ENDS
Background to White Ribbon Day and Family Violence
The 25th of November was set aside in 2000 by the United Nations as the International Day for the Elimination of
Violence Against Women (IDEVAW). In 1999 a group of Canadian men began a campaign to urge men to speak out against
violence against women. The group adopted the wearing of a white ribbon as a symbol of men’s opposition to violence
against women and their commitment to equality between men and women. The date was chosen to commemorate the lives of
the ‘Unforgettable Butterflies’, the Mirabal Sisters (three sisters) who were violently assassinated in the Dominican
Republic in 1960.
White Ribbon Day is celebrated by Family Violence Services around the world as an opportunity to raise public awareness
about family violence. Family Violence affects a significant number of New Zealand women with around 30% of women
experiencing at least one act of physical or sexual violence from a partner in their lifetime.[3]
In New Zealand, The Domestic Violence Act defines family violence as physical violence, sexual abuse and psychological
abuse. Psychological abuse includes intimidation, harassment, threats and causing or allowing a child to see or hear the
physical, sexual, or psychological abuse of another person. Relationships covered by the Domestic Violence Act include
relationships with partners, family members and others sharing a household as well as other close personal
relationships.
Support services
Emergency Services
NZ Police ph 111
Women’s Refuge - Te Whariki Manawahine O Hauraki ph 07 868 3132
Child, Youth and Family Services ph 0508 326 459
Local Support Services
Hauraki Safety Network (HSN) (offender’s programme) ph 07 868 8320
Child Abuse Prevention Service (CAPS) Thames ph 07 868 8644
Relationship Services ph 07 868 9030 /0800 735 283
Te Korowai Hauora O Hauraki Ph 868 5375
Hauraki Maori Trust Board (Whanau Support Service) 07 862 7521 / 0508 468 288
Waihi Community Resource Centre Ph 07 8637555
Whitianga Community Services Trust Ph 07 866 4476
Whangamata Community Services Trust Ph 07 865 7065
Te Ahi Kaa Social Services (Coromandel) Ph 07 866 8558
[1] The Hauraki Family Violence Intervention Network is a network of the agencies who work to eliminate
domestic violence in the Hauraki/Coromandel regions
[2] The L Bottle in Paeroa, the Thames Hospital Accident and Emergency and Te Korowai Hauora O Hauraki, will be sporting large
white ribbons for the week of 25th November.
[3] Fanslow, Janet L.; Robinson, Elizabeth. Violence against women in New Zealand : prevalence and health consequences - The New Zealand Medical Journal 117(1206) 2004