White Ribbon Campaign 2018

Last November when walking through the Norwich Lanes you probably noticed bright wooden ribbons displayed in the windows of many shops, pubs, barbers and theatres. The Ribbons were part of the city-wide White Ribbon Windows campaign.  Leeway in partnership with Norwich City Council is going to bring it back this year bigger and better. Read our blog to find out more about the campaign and how you can participate in this very important project. 

What is White Ribbon Window campaign?

White Ribbon is an international symbol of the movement aiming “to end male violence against women, once and for all.” Since 1989, the ‘White Ribbon’ has been a symbol of unity for all the people who commit to prevent and fully eliminate all the forms of violence against women including, domestic abuse.  Here in Norwich we’ve decided to incorporate this amazing symbol of hope and change to create a unique community project bringing together local artists, businesses and the general public. 

In 2017, 18 artists created 21 outstanding designs for wooden White Ribbons which then were displayed in the windows of 18 popular local city centre venues. Each of the Ribbons represented their author’s emotions and feelings on such issues as domestic abuse, freedom and finding your inner strength. At the top of this post, you can see some of last year’s photos. This year we plan a variety of events as a part of the campaign, with the culmination – a week of window display during the week from November 19 until November 25. The choice of these dates is not a coincidence, as 25 November commemorates International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls. To learn more about the campaign events, keep an eye on our website and social media. 

Why does this matter?

Despite it being a serious problem in the UK and all over the world, domestic abuse often remains a hidden crime. Unfortunately, the taboo and stigma surrounding this subject often prevents people who experience domestic abuse from reporting it and leaves the perpetrators unpunished. We hope that big eye-catching Ribbons displayed in the windows at the busy Norwich streets will be seen as a sign on solidarity with all people who are experiencing or experienced domestic abuse, and will bring attention to the vital discussion about the prevention and elimination of this horrible crime. 

We also look forward to using this initiative to strengthen a network of local businesses who are ready to engage with Leeway on a professional level. Domestic abuse annually costs the UK economy £1.9 billion a year. It’s employers’ responsibility to protect their employees who disclose the fact that they experience abuse at home. Unfortunately, it’s not often that the safety plan tailored for such situations would be available on the workplace. We want to widen our partnership with businesses of various sizes across Norfolk, give them necessary training and support their attempts to create a safer workspace for employees. We think that White Ribbon Campaign is a perfect opportunity for us to reach out to more companies who are ready to join our fight against domestic abuse. 

Who can participate? 

Any artists and businesses who are interested in becoming the part of the White Ribbon Windows campaign: please, get in touch with us by email: fundraising@leewaynwa.org.uk or by phone: 0300 561 0077 (option 4). Don’t miss your chance to use your talent and professional capacities to put a stop to the horrific crime of domestic abuse.

If you’re interested in the campaign and don’t want to miss any news and events announcements, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and keep an eye on hashtags #WhiteRibbonLeeway and #WhiteRibbonWindows. 

Only united we can say a final ‘No!’ to abuse.