The Tiffin Girls’ School celebrated White Ribbon Day on 24 November 2023, an annual event specifically held to spread awareness on stopping male violence against females as this occurs at a disturbingly higher rate than violence towards males. The students took part in many engaging activities which taught them the importance of standing up for such incidents as well as the various ways in which they could do so. 

White Ribbon Day began in 1991 by a group of men when a large number of female students were killed in a university in Montreal, the textbook example of a hate crime that makes one’s fist clench with uncontrollable anger yet simultaneously become clammy with sweat, fearing for one’s own life. The mass murder led the group to seek ways to show their resistance towards this hate crime and also encourage other men to, which they did by proudly showcasing their white ribbons. But why white? Ever since our bipedal ancestors began heating their leftovers with fire and increased their brain size enough to have a conscience and develop their own cultures, white has been globally accepted as a symbol of peace, even in clothing: Christian weddings, Hindu cremations and Muslim pilgrimages- you name it. Since the beginning of time, we humans have been searching for peace our whole lives, yet we are endlessly chasing our own tails, too caught up in our own selves to realise that we are the problem. The only ones in control of world peace are us, and as Gandhi said, be the change you want to see in the world. If we finally want to attain the peace that is so desperately sought after, we must stand up like those men that fought for what they knew in their hearts was right and would bring humanity one step closer to peace. 

To celebrate this message, the Tiffin Girls’ School hosted many activities specifically focusing on this year’s theme of #ChangeTheStory: Make Consistent Choices and Actions, which promotes making small yet consistent choices as a community to integrate gradual changes into society. To remember those men that first used the white ribbon for this purpose, students all wore White Ribbon stickers as is done each year, with many choosing to add them to their growing collection on their lanyards, perhaps a symbol for their multiplying support for this cause. Not only this, the students spent time going through various scenarios simulating incidents that could occur in real life and discussed as a class what would be the right way to handle it as well as how to support the victim. There was also a large display where students could contribute in many ways including artworks that touched the hearts of every student walking past them and other inspirational items they found worthy of sharing. More in line with this year’s specific theme, the students went through ways to #ChangeTheStory, such as being an ally which includes standing up for harmful behaviour as a witness, shifting the narrative to focusing on the perpetrator’s actions rather than questioning the victim’s choices, and being a supportive shoulder for those who want to share their experiences instead of doubting the validity of their situation. 

Allowing the students to take part in a wide range of activities encouraged them to look at the issue from various perspectives and to be more alert of such situations as they can come in many forms, none of which are acceptable and deserve to be fought against. Each year the students' support of this cause only increases, with the proud white ribbon embedded into their lanyards as well as their hearts.