MEN were celebrated on Monday for their willingness to put themselves in the public eye and say ‘no’ to violence against women.
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The occasion was a luncheon at the Riverside Restaurant held in honour of local men and one determined boy, who have made a decision to be White Ribbon ambassadors.
The role is to spread the message that domestic violence will not be tolerated.
Ken Williams made the decision to come forward from a depth of feeling.
“It was based probably from my heart, really,” Ken said.
“I grew up in a family where my dad treated my mum really kindly, and I’ve got four daughters and I would not like to see my children abused by their men.”
Graham Kerridge is another local resident who chose to wear the ribbon. His wife Heather expressed pride at Graham’s decision to speak against the silence that cloaks domestic violence.
“I admire that. It’s the silence that means nothing will happen,” she said.
“Domestic violence can be so humiliating and destroy a person’s self-confidence and leave them feeling helpless and hopeless. It’s something special when the fellows will actually get up and say ‘I’m against it’.”
At only 12, Jesse Atkinson is the first young person to stand up and wear a white ribbon. His proud decision came as a gut feeling against violence.
“Well, mentally it breaks them down until either someone saves them from that or until suicide.
“Abuse ain’t good, for no one,” he said simply.
Inverell Tourism manager Peter Caddey has also chosen to become a White Ribbon Ambassador.
He said as domestic violence has tragically become prevalent in society, awareness was critical to make a change.
“It something that does need to be highlighted, because ignorance is bliss, and if people don’t know that it’s out there in any community, then nothing much is going to be done about it,” Peter said.
He felt that there was value in men standing to educate and influence their male peers to change attitudes about violence against women.
“I think it’s far greater than if we don’t stand up, stand up against the fact that this happens in communities.”