History of the White Ribbon Campaign

The White Ribbon Campaign was founded and launched in Canada, two years after the Montréal Massacre in which 14 women students at the University of Montréal were systematically killed and 13 other students wounded by a lone gunman on December 6, 1989. 100,000 men wore ribbons across Canada that first year. Today, the WRC is a worldwide campaign in 47 countries, with well over 5,000,000 signatures and growing.

Currently, there are dozens of engagement activities engaging boys and men taking place in Massachusetts. (To read more about them, click here.) Many of these incorporate the White Ribbon Campaign into their efforts. The Massachusetts White Ribbon Day 2008 grew out of a desire to highlight the tremendous work being done with men and boys by Jane Doe Inc. members and others in communities throughout the Commonwealth and to engage many more men to get involved - as staff, volunteers, as supporters, as activists and as donors - on the local and statewide levels.

The common philosophy behind all of these efforts is a shared understanding that while sexual and domestic violence affects all of us, men have a particular role to play in constructing a healthier world, free of violence and founded on principles of equity and compassion.

As such White Ribbon Campaigns across the world are led by men and encourage all members of the community – men, women and transgender individuals, young and old – to join them in their efforts. The simple act of wearing a white ribbon provokes important discussion and invites men to accept personal responsibility to make sure that the violence stops.

A 2007 national survey* conducted by Hart Research for the Family Violence Prevention Fund and Verizon Wireless found that men are ready to take action. An impressive 73% of the men surveyed believe they can personally make a difference in ending sexual and domestic violence. Already two in three fathers (68%) are talking to their sons about the importance of healthy, violence-free relationships…and 63% are talking to their daughters.

The Massachusetts White Ribbon Day 2008 aims to publicly recognize the role that all men have to play alongside of all women in this work.

*Information on the poll is available at the Family Violence Prevention Fund site.

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