Community Partners Answered The Call
Working in partnership with community organizations lies at the heart of our work. We are grateful for the longstanding and new partnerships built this year. We meet partners where they are and work with them to build, deepen and strengthen male engagement approaches and programming to address the root causes of gender-based violence. Here are some of the highlights from our community-based initiatives:
Cecil Community Centre in Toronto hosted a White Ribbon workshop featured in the CBC The National to profile a cutting-edge new program funded by an anonymous foundation to engage male-identifying youth 13-17 years of age on healthy masculinities. This media coverage resulted in a reach of 1.2 million.
Through funding from the Chamandy Foundation, we engaged youth ages 13-17 in Northern Manitoba and Quebec to prevent sexual exploitation and trafficking. We followed best practices in our programming, ensuring that it is ‘designed by and for’ members of Indigenous and Francophone communities.
We hosted an Ontario-level youth council for participatory research to enhance White Ribbon’s programming with interactive/digital learning technology solutions, made possible through funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
We created several dynamic healthy masculinities resources in English and French for use in communities across Ontario through funding from the Ontario Ministry of Education. Find them at: Redefine / Redefinissons.
Through trained male allies from Ontario immigrant and refugee communities, we engaged male identifying folks in culturally rooted and gender-transformative workshops to prevent gender-based violence. We thank the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services for the project’s funding.
We presented at the UN Women’s annual gender focal point meeting, “Energize. Exchange. Enhance,” sharing best practices in engaging men to promote equitable and inclusive cultures within the United Nations system and beyond!
We partnered with the UN World Food Programme to enhance their capacity to engage men and boys in gender equality and prevent gender-based violence in Lebanon and Cambodia.
We partnered with adidas to develop resources on male-allyship and gender equity in the sports community. The With Women, We Run campaign has been featured widely on social media.
Partners helped advance so many calls to action, including:
Understand the prevalence, impact, and root causes of gender-based violence.
Commit to unlearning rigid gender norms and expectations and to adopting new healthy, equitable alternatives.
Take the White Ribbon pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about gender-based violence.
Educate yourself and others about the undeniable connections between colonialism and patriarchy. Challenge these systems of oppression within yourself and in your community.
Celebrate lives, amplify wisdom, and actively listen to the voices of the Trans community.
Celebrate Black History and the lives of Black activists, community members and scholars who have helped us reimagine masculinity through non-violence, compassion and love.
Be inspired and use White Ribbon resources.
Program participants shared:
Male-identified youth workshop participants stated they are: “Being more accepting,” “starting to call out language that people use while playing video games,” “help stop sexism and use the information I learned to be a good person,” “self-care.” —Healthy Masculinities Program Participants.
“The most personal impact for me was encountering peers engaging in the same way as me. They are like-minded folks who are interested and passionate about advocacy, particularly about advocating against gender-based violence. It gave me a sense of hope and a sense of belonging.” —White Ribbon Youth Council Participant
“I enjoyed everything in the male allies’ training. I am excited to start planning the different activities I will do to benefit the community." —2022 Male Ally for the Immigrant and Refugee Communities, Neighbours, Friends, and Families Campaign
Participants reported transformative results:
91% Increased knowledge
94% Enhanced skills
71% Changed behaviours