ACFO Lynsey McVay and DCFO Peter Heath holding the White Ribbon Promise placard to support White Ribbon Day 2022.

Today [Friday November 25th] we as a Service will be joining other organisations, groups, businesses and individuals who are uniting to show their support for White Ribbon Day.

The mission of the annual awareness day is to prevent violence against women and girls by addressing its root causes.

The aim of the campaign is to change long established, and harmful, attitudes, systems and behaviours around masculinity that perpetuate gender inequality and men’s violence against women.

The work of organisers White Ribbon UK is aimed at encouraging everyone, especially men and boys, to make the White Ribbon Promise to never use, excuse or remain silent about men’s violence against women. A promise that has already been taken by tens of thousands of people across Europe.

The campaigners want to end violence before it starts.

We as an organisation don’t solely support campaigns such as White Ribbon Day on singular days…we support their focus all year round. This can be seen with the astounding work that we deliver through the TWFRS Gender Network and our ethos of respecting equality, diversity and inclusion.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Peter Heath, said:

“The Fire and Rescue Service as a whole is still perceived as a male dominated workforce. But on a national and regional basis we are always trying to find ways to positively bridge those gaps in both social and professional circles.

“We support White Ribbon Day and it’s values of being able to help bring an end to violence against women and girls, as Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service stands together shoulder to shoulder in solidarity to realise these crucial goals.”

Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Lynsey McVay, said:

“White Ribbon Day and the wider programme has become an important date in the awareness calendar. It’s an opportunity for not only the Fire Service but the wider community to address the challenges and dangers facing women and girls in today’s ever changing society.

“It also mirrors our own key Service objectives of implementing equality, diversity and inclusion across the workforce.”

This year, White Ribbon Day falls on the same week as the start of the FIFA men’s World Cup so the hashtag #TheGoal has been adopted to symbolise the goals they would like to achieve on a global scale.

White Ribbon Day and its wider activities are also supported by our blue light emergency service colleagues who continuingly champion the prevention of violence against women and girls throughout the region.

The White Ribbon campaign will be running from 25th November until 10th December and further details can be found on the White Ribbon UK website.