The white ribbon is a symbol for ending male violence against women. It represents the commitment to challenging and changing the attitudes and behaviours that perpetuate violence. Wearing a white ribbon shows support for creating a safer and more equal society for everyone, and that is why at the Tiffin Girls’ School last week, we celebrated ‘White Ribbon Day’, to show our support and stand against this violence towards women and girls.
This annual observance, held on November 25th, encourages individuals and organisations to make consistent choices and actions in order to foster a culture of respect and equality. It is a day that reminds us of the importance of being allies to women on a daily basis, emphasising that even seemingly innocuous actions and words can contribute to the normalisation of violence.
This year's theme is "#ChangeTheStory: Make Consistent Choices and Actions," which encourages cultural change through consistent choices and actions. We believe that even minor actions can result in significant change. By being allies to women every day, we help to create an environment in which everyone can live without fear of violence and harassment.
At the Tiffin Girls’ School, the students were provided with numerous ways in which they could “#ChangeTheStory”, such as teaching students how to be an ally, how to challenge the victim narrative, how to listen and believe, supplying and encouraging wearing stickers for support, introducing the ‘Bold Voices’ group and how to raise more attention towards them, and finally how to get involved with the ‘White Ribbon Day display’.
A student at the Tiffin Girls’ School, Akshara Iynkaran says “it was crucial to raise awareness about important issues like this at school to help educate and empower young individuals as school provides a platform for us students to learn more about various topics. It also helped foster a sense of empathy, respect, and equality among students, creating a more inclusive and informed society, which was important to promote positive change earlier on and prevent harmful behaviour.”
