Melrose Men to Lead 6th Annual White Ribbon Day Event to Speak Out Against Violence Against Women
The Melrose Alliance Against Violence (MAAV) will host its 6th Annual White Ribbon Day Event in collaboration with the City of Melrose on Wednesday, March 1, at 1 p.m. in front of Melrose City Hall’s Essex Street entrance. All Melrose community members, particularly Melrose men of all ages, are invited to join the ceremony and stand up and participate in the process of ending violence against women.
According to data from a United Nations report, one in three women worldwide experiences physical or sexual violence, and since 2020, all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, have intensified
“The City of Melrose is thrilled to continue to support the Melrose Alliance Against Violence—an organization committed to raising awareness, supporting our survivors, and promoting safety, gender equity, and non-violence in our community,” said Mayor Paul Brodeur. “I recognize that ending worldwide violence against women is an unrealistic goal for our modestly sized City. However, I believe that if enough men—grandfathers, fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons— in our community take 15 minutes out of their day to join us on March 1, White Ribbon Day can make a lasting impact here in Melrose.”
The ceremony will begin with Mayor Paul Brodeur delivering a Proclamation of White Ribbon Day in Melrose, followed by remarks by community leaders and a pledge of nonviolence led by Melrose High School students. The ceremony will conclude with drumming from MHS Band members while the White Ribbon Day flag is raised by City Councilor Jack Eccles.
“We are pleased to hold this annual, powerful event where we engage male-identifying individuals of all ages to come together as leaders to speak out and take a stand against gender-based violence,” said MAAV Executive Director Crystal Johnson. “The majority of violence is caused by male-identifying individuals hurting both themselves and others. Boys and men are bombarded with confusing and often destructive messaging about masculinity. We believe that every male has the potential to become an emotionally healthy, respectful, and non-violent person by shifting the culture in which they live and grow. We envision a world where we all stand together as part of the solution and believe it’s especially important to involve students. Students will lead the White Ribbon Day pledge, where participants pledge never to commit, excuse or stay silent about men’s violence against women.”
The ceremony will be broadcasted to the community via MMTV, MAAV and Melrose High School social media channels and is supported by the City of Melrose Mayor’s Office and Men4MAAV, an initiative of the Melrose Alliance Against Violence.
White Ribbon Day was created by a group of Canadian men in 1991 in response to the massacre of 14 women in Montreal and is now an international event that occurs in more than 60 countries worldwide. For more information visit www.maav.org or contact MAAV at 781-662-2010.
About the Melrose Alliance Against Violence
The mission of the Melrose Alliance Against Violence is to raise community awareness of domestic and teen dating violence and to promote programs that work to reduce violence and
encourage healthy relationships. MAAV programs include community awareness activities, education, and prevention programs in the schools, including bullying prevention, mentoring and peer leadership programs, and information, support, resource, and referral services for victims, family members, and the community at large.