White Ribbon - in defiance of violence

Today many will don a white ribbon, in defiance of the horrific violence committed daily against women and children, both in New Zealand and abroad.  

White Ribbon Day is the worldwide event which calls on people, particularly men, to wear a white ribbon- a personal pledge to not commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and children.

New Zealand Police Commissioner Howard Broad said White Ribbon Day was an international day chosen by the United Nations to show support for ending violence against women.

"When police take action on family violence, we demonstrate that violence against women and children is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our community at any time."

"To coin the now well known phrase, 'it's not ok'," Mr Broad said.

Womens Refuge communications advisor Sarah Pomeroy said the services they offered to women and children were up 16 per cent on last year.

She thought awareness of domestic violence was increasing in the community.

"The 'it's not ok' campaign is showing people that violence against women has to change.

"If it shocks people, that's ok, that's part of growing as a community."

Almost 50,000 crisis calls were received by Womens Refuge in the 2007/08 period - nearly one call every 11 minutes, she said.

Christchurch Family Safety Team member Sergeant Jim Sole will be wearing a white ribbon today.

"It's not okay is a very simple and clear message that needs to be out there every day."

He said that, on average, Christchurch police attend 650 domestic violence incidents, with most being committed against women by men.

"As men, that places the onus on us to stand up and take responsibility for ourselves and our ‘brothers'."

White ribbons first appeared in Canada after 1989, when an anti-feminist murdered 14 female Montreal university students in one of the country's worst mass killings. The campaign went official in 1991 and has since spread to 35 countries around the world.

By the numbers:

- 64 per cent of all serious assaults and 44 per cent of all grievous assaults police attend are family violence related.

- 34 per cent of minor assaults are identified as family violence.

- Family violence affects a third of all women during their lifetime.  

- 45 per cent of murders in New Zealand are family violence related.

- There is a family violence repeat-victim rate of more than 40 per cent.

- Police statistics from 2007-2008 show a 15 per cent increase in the number of family violence incidents and offences, with more than 86,000 reports being made.

- Protection orders, in over 90 per cent of instances, are granted to women.

Statistics: NZ Police

- © Fairfax NZ News