Dear White Ribbon Supporter thank you for helping White Ribbon in 2015

Last year during White Ribbon month, hundreds of events were organised, hundreds of thousands of White Ribbons and collateral were distributed, and with your help, we began a nationwide discussion about 'Respectful Relationships' and  'consent'.

New Zealand has a terrible issues with violence and we must all increase our efforts to combat this significant issue. White Ribbon is just one player helping to contribute to the solution which requires many players from Government right through to our communities.

Although most men treat women with respect, the biggest cause of violence is the belief that men have more rights and power than women. We want to challange these, because violence against women is not just about men's anger. That's just too simplistic. Here's a few highlights from the 2015 campaign.

This is a terrific result. It's a testament to all of those volunteers, agencies, White Ribbon Ambassadors and Riders out there who carry White Ribbon into their communities. Note : Of those who had heard of White Ribbon, only 29% did not know that it was a campaign against violence.

Media Coverage:
The campaign received good nationwide coverage featuring prominently on TVNZ, TV3 and Maori TV.

New Media:
The Campaign also uses Facebook and the website to get information out about key messages. 2015 saw record traffic to the White Ribbon Website with 126,412 total visits, a record of 52,884 during November and a record 8,225 on White Ribbon Day. Facebook also performed well with the highest organic reach being 51,070 and promotions reaching 74,824 on White Ribbon Day.

The Toolbox
This resource page was visited over 1,400 times, and a number of organisations have asked permission to utilise aspects of the Toolbox. This has been a very pleasing response. We are continuing to promote the Toolbox through facebook.

Posters and Merchandise:
The Posters were pasted and posted up by Phantom (and community organisations) throughout NZ. Flyers and other merchandise were also distributed throughout the country and used at events and to promote the campaign.

The White Ribbon Ride:
The four White Ribbon Rides all proceeded exceptionally taking the campaign to over 80 communities.  A huge thank you to all the riders for donating their time and attending workshops to get to grips with the new 'Respectful Relationships' campaign.  If you want to read more about the Ride, check out the Captain's Log.

Events:
There were hundreds of events throughout the country with parades, fun days, quizzes, Walk A Mile in Her Shoes, BBQs, poetry competitions, stand-up comedy and handing out ribbons to name just some.

Launch:
The campaign was launched by Mayors throughout NZ and by our own White Ribbon Ambassadors in Parliament helping to get the messages out to communities.

Thank you for your support.
The White Ribbon Team

Congratulations to Colin Agnew and Tim Marshall

When White Ribbon Ambassador and White Ribbon Rider Colin Agnew was awarded his Kiwibank Community Hero Medal, he was hundreds of miles away on the White Ribbon Ride. His Grandson Flynn stepped in to accept the award and wrote this amazing speech about his Grandfather. Later he presented the award to his Granddad at home. Read the speech here.

We would also like to congratulate White Ribbon Ambassador Tim Marshall for his recognition for the tremendous work he undertakes in the Gisborne community and at the Tauawhi Mens Centre. Well done to you both.

HELP US SHAPE THE NEXT WHITE RIBBON CAMPAIGN

In the next few weeks you will receive an email from Research New Zealand, an independent research company based in Wellington. The email will contain a link to a short online survey about the 2015 White Ribbon Campaign. It is really important for us to get your feedback on the Campaign – Was it effective? Was it clear? Do you remember it? This type of information will help us see what worked and what didn’t. And in doing so, will help us to shape this year’s Campaign to make it the best one yet. So please, when you receive your survey invitation, take a few minutes to tell us what you thought.

Start with Respect

Early this year White Ribbon developed a tool for young men focusing on dating respectfully. We want our young men to start their relationships with respect. The resource was released on Valentines Day and has been viewed on Facebook over 39,000 times with over 1,000 likes. Please share with all the young men and women you know of with organisations that work with our youth.
Share the Facebook link here. Share the website link here.

International Women's Day is Tuesday, March 8. In celebrating the past economic, political, and social achievements of women, men need to remember that it is also our responsibility to help build on these successes. Find out more here. The international website is here.