2022: A Year Of Calls.
Around the world and across Canada, as we cautiously inched our way out of the most tragic days of the pandemic in 2022, our conscientious hearts emitted a collective call.
As we recover, let’s repair the deepened social injustices. Let’s regenerate in a way that heals the harms of our colonial days. And let’s exponentially expand our efforts towards equity and healthy masculinities.
Our calls for action were based on lived experiences and voices from:
Women, girls and 2SLGBTQ+ folks are at increased risk of gender-based violence, harassment, and discrimination during times of extreme weather, pandemics, and economic downturns, and whose reproductive rights have deteriorated.
Yet more Indigenous children in unmarked graves and Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit folks who continue to have the highest rate of gender-based violence.
Young women, girls and 2SLGBTQ+ youth who are at high risk for sexual exploitation, online abuse, and human trafficking.
Marginalized women and 2SLGBTQ+ folks who absorbed the greatest of the economic, social, and healthcare impacts.
Men, boys, and male-identifying folks who no longer want to adhere to outdated gender roles and seek guidance in embracing healthy masculinities.
White Ribbon’s voice was unrelenting this past year. From our diverse lived experiences and identities, we continued to: stand in solidarity with folks that are oppressed; act from our hearts; and ‘call men, boys and male-identifying folks in’ to be part of the growing transformative movement of healthy masculinities, equity, inclusion, anti-colonialism, and peace.
Our calls to action on gender-based violence prevention topics intensified in 2022 through our broad social marketing campaigns, school-based programs, community programs and workplace transformation initiatives. It was an exceptional year: we issued over 88 calls to action and amplified many community partners’ calls. The response to the calls was magnificent!
Most of our calls were to men and boys, calling them in as part of the solution. An increased number of men, boys and male-identifying folks pledged never to commit, condone, or remain silent about gender-based violence and all forms of discrimination.
Men, boys, and male-identifying folks want to adhere to healthier masculinities.
We called out to funders saying we know the formula for ending gender-based violence. It’s primary prevention, implemented over the long-term, aimed at transforming socially entrenched attitudes, values, and behaviours, as well as norms rooted in patriarchy, colonialism, and many forms of discrimination. And they heard us, enabling a significant expansion of our English and French gender-based violence prevention programs across Canada and into several provinces and territories. We still lack core funding, yet we are grateful for the opportunities to expand our primary prevention work - stopping the violence before it begins.
Funders recognize our strength-based, effective approaches to preventing gender-based violence.
We called out to workplaces inviting them to create a new legacy based on equity, allyship, enhanced social responsibility, and the prevention of gender-based violence and all forms of discrimination. They enthusiastically called back to us, asking to partner with us to create lasting cultural changes within their organizations.
Workplaces seek White Ribbon’s support to make their cultures more inclusive, equitable and free of gender-based violence.
We called out to our amazing donors and sponsors for continued financial and in-kind support. We feel your moral alignment with our quest to end systemic inequities and discrimination by promoting healthy masculinities and male allyship. We need and value your solidarity.
Our many donors and sponsors are growing in numbers enabling us to advocate for sustained, systemic changes.
White Ribbon’s work is world-renowned, transformative, intersectional, anti-colonial and based on best practices in public education and change management. Our tenacity is undaunting.
We know how to effectively engage men, boys, and male-identifying folks to prevent gender-based violence and all forms of discrimination. Through primary prevention and ‘calling men in,’ shifts in social conscientiousness are happening. New attitudes, behaviours and social norms promote equity, model healthy masculinities, and show allyship and solidarity with the many voices that experience social injustice.
This 2022 annual report shares highlights of our collective successes. We are thankful for the incredible partnerships and generous support from foundations, the private sector, the community, sponsors, donors, and government funders. You heard our calls to join us in our journey to create a gender-based violence-free world.
White Ribbon’s Board of Directors continues to provide excellence in its governance while ensuring our composition is representative of our diverse Canadian communities. Our growing staff team are experts in preventing gender-based violence, intersectionality, and anti-colonial practices - critical for excellence in programming. Your dedication is evident. Thank you.
White Ribbon is creating a future free of gender-based violence and all forms of discrimination. Join us.
— Always in solidarity.
Humberto Carolo, Executive Director
Mona Mitchell, Chair, Board of Directors