The White Ribbon Foundation of Australia aims to eliminate violence against women by promoting culture-change around the issue.
The major strategies to achieve this are a national media campaign as well as education & male leadership programmes aimed at men and boys around Australia.
All funds received by the White Ribbon Foundation will support the implementation of these strategies.
White Ribbon Day - History
White Ribbon Day was created by a handful of Canadian men in 1991 on the second anniversary of one man's massacre of fourteen women in Montreal. They began the White Ribbon Campaign to urge men to speak out against violence against women.
In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW) and the White Ribbon has become the symbol for the day.
From 2000, the Commonwealth Government Office for Women ran awareness activities on the International Day, and, in 2003, the Australian branch of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM, began a partnership with men and men's organisations to make this a national campaign. Ten thousand white ribbons were distributed in 2003.
Today hundreds of thousands of white ribbons are worn by men and women across Australia - men at work; men and women in all Australian police forces; men in national and local sporting matches and organisations; men in the media; men and women in politics; men in the defence forces; men and women in capital cities and in rural and regional Australia.
The campaign continues to go from strength to strength and now boasts more than 230 white ribbon Ambassadors Australia wide, as well as more events across the country and more organisations and individuals participating year upon year.
White Ribbon Day - Timeline
1989 : 14 women massacred at l'École Polytechnique in Montreal on Dec. 6.
1991 : White Ribbon Campaign created by a handful of Canadian men on the second
anniversary to urge men to speak out against violence against women.
1999 : United Nations General Assembly declares November 25 International Day for the
Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The White Ribbon has become the symbol for the day.
2000 : In Australia the Commonwealth Government Office for Women ran awareness activities on
November 25th
2003 : 10,000 ribbons distributed
Australian branch of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM, began
a partnership with men and men's organisations to make this a national campaign.
2004 : Campaign grows.
200,000 White Ribbons were worn by men and women across Australia
2005 : White Ribbon Campaign grows even stronger and almost 250,000 ribbons
were distributed across the country and beyond
2006 : Further growth and over 300,000 ribbons distributed
2007 : White Ribbon Foundation Australia becomes a separate entity