Shropshire Council playing its part for White Ribbon Day

Monday, 25 November is White Ribbon Day and marks the beginning of the global “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign.

As a White Ribbon accredited organisation, Shropshire Council will be playing its part in the campaign to end men’s violence against women and girls by raising awareness across our organisation and our communities.

Around 70% of women in the UK say they have experienced sexual harassment in public, with nearly a quarter of girls in mixed-sex schools reporting experiences of unwanted sexual touching in school.

Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for domestic abuse services said:

 Here at Shropshire council, we’re marking White Ribbon Day by promoting the White Ribbon message across our organisation to help others understand that preventing violence against women and girls is not only a women’s issue – it starts with men.

As a White Ribbon Accredited organisation, we are committed to not only raising awareness about this serious issue but are fully engaged in supporting men and boys across our network to learn about what they can do to contribute to a healthier, more inclusive work environment.

We are proud to have staff members signed up as White Ribbon Ambassadors and Champions. In these roles, they ensure the White Ribbon message of allyship, accountability and equality are upheld across our teams.

As part of our work Shropshire Council is hosting an event at The Lantern in Shrewsbury on Friday, 29 November, from 9:00 AM to 3 PM. This event aims to raise public awareness of services that support those affected by violence, abuse, crime, and other issues.

We would like to encourage our underrepresented communities to attend to find out more about the support they can access. There will be many support services in attendance and some interesting discussion workshops on media and language, Lived Experience voices and what support is available for Perpetrators to help encourage change.

You can find out more about this event and book your place here

If you require confidential support, information, or advice you can contact:

West Mercia Women’s Aid – Helpline – 0800 783 1359.

Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service – Helpline – 0300 303 1191

West Mercia Victim Support – Helpline – 0808 168 911

Axis – Shropshire 01743 357777 – Telford – 01952 278000

Other services include: Survivor Pathway West Mercia support.

For more information about White Ribbon Day visit https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/