Media Release by The Hon Julie Collins MP

Say no to violence against women on White Ribbon Day

Today Australian men are encouraged to swear an oath never to commit, never to excuse and never to remain silent about violence against women as part of White Ribbon Day.

To mark White Ribbon Day, the Minister for the Status of Women, Julie Collins, launched the next phase of The Line, an Australian Government campaign for young people that encourages respectful relationships.

“To help break the cycle of violence, we need to engage with youth in a genuine way to foster attitudes towards respectful relationships and encourage behavioural change,” Ms Collins said.

“The next phase of the campaign draws upon the rich and engaging content on The Line website and Facebook page.

“There will be new partnerships – with music festivals and music ambassadors and engagement with more social media on this important issue.”

The Line encourages young people to think about what part of their behaviour ‘crosses the line’.

The most recent wave of tracking research, based on feedback from The Line users, found:

  • 84 per cent who recognise The Line campaign claim it has improved their understanding of behaviour that could be “crossing the line”.
  • 81 per cent have done something positive as a result of the campaign.
  • 78 per cent intended to change their behaviour in the next six months.
  • 84 per cent of 12 to 24 year olds intended to change their behaviour in the next six months as a result of the campaign.

“The Line is an innovative part of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022,” Ms Collins said.

“The National Plan is a single, unified strategy that brings together government efforts to reduce violence against women, with a strong focus on prevention.

“Nearly one in three Australian women will experience physical violence in their lifetime, and nearly one in five women will experience sexual violence.

“All Australian men can play a vital role to never commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women.

“White Ribbon Day today reminds us of this. By wearing our White Ribbons, people around the world – most importantly men – are saying that violence against women is never OK,” Ms Collins said.

The Australian Government has committed $86 million to initiatives under the National Plan to improve the lives of women who have experienced violence, and most importantly to stop violence from occurring in the first place.

Visit The Line at www.theline.gov.au