It Starts With Men this White Ribbon Day

12 November 2024

Powys residents are being urged to join one of three walks in the county on Monday 25 November to show their support for ending violence against women and girls.

The county council has organised them in support of the global White Ribbon movement.

This year the White Ribbon charity is encouraging more men to get involved in changing harmful gender-based behaviours and attitudes, by using the theme: 'It Starts With Men'.

The walks will start at 12.30pm from:

• Lakeside Boathouse, Llandrindod Wells
• Dinas Road car park, Brecon
• Newtown Integrated Family Centre, Park Street

"Please come and join us at one of our three walks on Monday 25 November and if you are a man - in particular - in joining us in changing harmful gender-based behaviours and attitudes which can encourage violence against women and girls," said Councillor Matthew Dorrance, Powys County Council's Deputy Leader and one of its White Ribbon Lead Ambassadors.

"I would also like to encourage men and boys in Powys to make the White Ribbon promise to never commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women and girls, which can be done online on the White Ribbon UK website: https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/promise?rq=promise ."

Powys County Council is a White Ribbon accredited organisation which means it has made a commitment to ending violence against women in Powys communities, improving its own workplace culture and ensuring the safety of its female employees.

White Ribbon works to prevent violence against women and girls by encouraging men and boys to make changes to the way they act and behave: https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/

This year it is highlighting that:

• 70% of women in the UK say they have experienced sexual harassment in public. (APPG for UN Women, 2021)
• Three in five women have experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse in the workplace. (Trade Unions Congress, 2023)
• 17% of women in Wales have experienced online violence. (Professor Olga Jurasz, The Open University, 2024)
• Nearly a quarter (24%) of girls in mixed sex schools said they had experiences of unwanted sexual touching in school. (EVAW, 2023)
• 1.4 million women experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2023. (ONS, 2023)
• 63% of men agree that men in society aren't doing enough to ensure the safety of women and girls. (YouGov, 2021)

PICTURE: Last year's walk in Newtown.