Launch of #TheGoal for White Ribbon Day

Rail Business Daily is urging the industry to join forces in backing this year’s White Ribbon Day, in making a stand against violence against women and girls.

This year’s event (on November 25) falls on the same week as the start of the football World Cup, with the organisation saying there has never been a better time for everyone to focus on the good that can come from unifying and supporting one common cause.

White Ribbon says ‘all men can join the team to end violence against women and girls – that’s #TheGoal. #TheGoal brings men and boys together to think about how they can make a positive difference to achieve equality and safety, uniting people to start playing as a team to end violence against women and girls.

Anthea Sully, chief executive of White Ribbon UK, said: “This year we are addressing how informal rules about ‘how to be a man’ and ‘how to be a woman’ can restrict the way men, women, girls, and boys are expected to live. These behaviours can be harmful and create environments that normalise violence against women and girls.”

#TheGoal highlights eleven traits that men and boys can nurture, each representing a player in a football team. It calls on the need to shift expectations that violent and abusive behaviour and attitudes are normal and cannot be changed. All men and boys can commit to equality and safety for women and girls to live the lives they want to lead without fear of violence. This is always #TheGoal.

Rail Business Daily is an approved White Ribbon UK-accredited organisation, that signed a commitment to support global efforts to change behaviours and cultures that lead to abuse or violence against women and girls.

David McLoughlin, chief executive officer at the Business Daily Group, said: “Domestic abuse and violence left unchallenged and unchecked can have such devastating effects on people’s lives. Together we can all play our part to reinforce the message that violence of any kind of interpretation against male and females has no place in our business, industry or society.”

#TheGoal calls on people to make the White Ribbon Promise, never to use, excuse or remain silent about violence against women and girls. The Promise can be made on White Ribbon UK’s website: www.whiteribbon.org.uk/whiteribbonday22

There is a suite of resources available to download for free to use in workplaces, schools, football grounds and bars, pubs and clubs: www.whiteribbon.org.uk/whiteribbonday22-digital-resources

There are many more exciting announcements to come in the months leading up to White Ribbon Day, 25th November. To support the campaign, download the resources on the website and you can make the White Ribbon Promise here.

Photo credit: White Ribbon

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