Danny Blay is Executive Officer at the ‘No To Violence Male Family Violence Prevention Association (NTV) Inc’ Incorporating the Men’s Referral Service in Melbourne, Victoria.
I’m impressed with Danny’s work to address violence against women. If we had more men like him we might get somewhere. I published a piece he wrote for me ‘Men: It’s Time to Change’ here in December 2011 (a while ago but still sadly so relevant).
Danny and his organisation have bravely questioned the rationale behind the White Ribbon Foundation’s latest fundraising campaign. Below their recent press release in full. White Ribbon has responded here).
The latest White Ribbon Foundation fundraising campaign, Help out by staying in, demonstrates a lack of understanding of some of the fundamental issues relating to family violence, and men’s violence against women.
While we fully support the Foundation’s intent in preventing men’s violence against women, and the need to have a sustainable funding basis to conduct this work, we are significantly concerned with this campaign on two levels.
Devaluing women and women’s efforts
First, in a recent email the Foundation positioned the event as raising funds for “Australia’s Campaign to stop men’s violence against women.” This wording positions the Foundation’s work as the campaign in Australia attempting to prevent men’s violence against women. The statement dismisses, and makes invisible, the many existing campaigns by a range of community-based agencies, involving both women and men, to prevent men’s violence against women. It privileges the Foundation’s campaign above all others, thereby devaluing other efforts, particularly those of women who continue to do the bulk of the work in responding to and preventing violence.
NTV assumes this isn’t intentional. However, the effect is to reproduce the devaluing of women and women’s efforts, and processes that make women invisible, through the way in which this fundraising event is framed. The use of entitlement and privilege to dismiss and render invisible women’s voices and efforts is at the heart of men’s violence against women.
Links to the alcohol industry
Second, we are dismayed that the event is associated with the alcohol industry. While alcohol is not a cause of men’s violence against women, there is substantial and conclusive research that it can intensify the severity of violence that women and children experience. There is also considerable clinical evidence that alcohol abuse can make it more difficult for men to do the work necessary to change their behaviour through a men’s behaviour change program. Given the strong association between alcohol and violence, obtaining the support of the alcohol industry is as analogous to as a fast food corporation sponsoring a fun run.
Belittling the issues
Furthermore, while the intent is to provide activities while men spend the night in, the association with alcohol retail outlets will implicitly, and directly, link the night with alcohol consumption. This belittles the issues, and can be seen as encouraging men to ‘crack open a can’ while raising funds for the Foundation.
The email distributed to promote this event provides online links to major alcohol retail outlets, thereby promoting the consumption of alcohol.
Movie choices
We also question the invitation to men to have a ‘movie marathon’ without recommendations about ensuring selected movies are appropriate within the context of preventing violence against women.
Numerous studies have shown an overt prevalence of the objectification and sexualisation of women in the film industry, and sexist references that are in the name of entertainment or humour. We would be most concerned that such movies would be watched in the context of raising money for the Foundation, or, worse, that some men use the opportunity to make fun of the campaign.
Understanding men’s violence against women
We understand the need for a social marketing approach that involves social media, ‘real-life’ opportunities for men to gather, and symbols and analogies that help men to start identifying with the issues. However, the framing of the event, and its connection with the alcohol industry, demonstrates that the Foundation is not achieving an appropriate balance between marketability/accessibility and a sufficient understanding of men’s violence against women.
For the Foundation’s credibility in the violence against women and family violence sectors, we’d strongly encourage steps towards increasing this understanding. We wonder, for example, what processes the Foundation uses to test fundraising and marketing concepts with family violence professionals as part of striving for the above-mentioned balance.
Reflect on the issues
We strongly encourage Foundation staff and Board members to read the Superman? Really? article, to encourage reflection on how violence against women campaigns, conducted by men’s organisations, can inadvertently reproduce patriarchy and reduce the space available for the voices of women and women’s organisations who conduct this work.
This latest event demonstrates that despite obvious goodwill and positive intent, the Foundation does not yet have a sufficient understanding of the issues that underpin men’s violence against women, and is at continuing risk of reproducing the conditions that feed this massive social problem.
The Foundation’s email promoting the campaign is reproduced below.
For questions or further comments, contact NTV Policy and Practice Coordinator, Rodney Vlais.
Alert White Ribbon to your concerns about this fundraising campaign:
Kirsty Jagger is the White Ribbon National
Communications and Marketing Officer
email: kirsty.jagger@whiteribbon.org.au
phone: 02 9045 8419
mobile: 0406 757 568.
See also: ‘An Open Letter to White Ribbon Ambassadors’, MTR blog.
‘AFL supports White Ribbon Day while ignoring Buddy Franklin degrading porn tees and company’s jokes about raping women’. MTR blog.
8 Responses
Thanks so much to Danny and Melinda for posting this alert to the Foundation’s activities, I think this example shows how flawed the fundamentals of the the organisation are, and why they shouldn’t be receiving public money to do work in an area where others have greater expertise. Imagine if a women’s organisation were to partner with an alcohol seller in a campaign against domestic violence–the organisation would be ostracised from the field. Why would we hold a men’s organisation to any different standard? Why do their ‘good intentions’ count for anything in a field where expertise, experience and empirical bases count for everything, and cost real women’s lives? I don’t think we should give the Foundation any second chances after this campaign; they are inept and inexperienced and shouldn’t be funded to operate in a field where the stakes are very high.
I was disappointed that when Tyler the Creator came to Australia, promoting rape and extreme violence against women as entertainment, that White Ribbon Foundation had nothing to say. Even when asked, they refused to respond. What good is selling white ribbons if they refuse to address the cultural values that excuse or allow violence against women?
I am also disappointed that White Ribbon Foundation have partnered with the AFL, considering the shameful behaviour of several high profile players, including Buddy Franklin. Franklin’s porn t-shirts contribute to sexist attitudes towards women, with images of women bound, submissive, naked and silent. The AFL allows it and White Ribbon covers its eyes.
This campaign may be an effective fundraiser for White Ribbon, but if a bunch of guys are having a night in watching The Hangover and drinking, how is this helping?
I too haven’t forgotten White Ribbon’s deafening silence concerning that misogynist ‘Tyler the Creator’ who recently visited Australia and promoted his misogynistic propaganda to men about women. Why hasn’t White Ribbon Campaign denounced that women-hater Tyler? Is it because White Ribbon Campaign is terrified of male responses?
Instead White Ribbon Campaign is ‘playing safe’ by claiming ‘we are the leaders concerning pandemic male violence against women and girls.’ This is precisely why feminists say men cannot be the ones to define what is and is not ‘male violence against women’ because men’s lived experiences are not identical to womens’ experiences. White Ribbon Campaign will earn yet ‘more cookies’ and yet in reality they won’t/aren’t challenging male domination over women because that would be too frightening and WRC are terrified of the male backlash.
White Ribbon Campaign first needs to undergo intense education from the real specialists of male violence against women and these are the Radical Feminists. It is women not men who are the ones on the receiving end of male violence and it is women not men who understand and know how men consistently deny and/or use strategies in order to minimalise/deny their accountability.
Next time White Ribbon Campaign before you create yet another male-centric campaign seek the advice of the real experts – the radical feminists and yes there are many who have expertise in the field of combating pandemic male violence against women. Listen and learn rather than arrogantly assuming ‘we men know best’ because you clearly do not.
So White Ribbon Campaign are you going to act on your mandate which is that you will on no account accept praise/plaudits when the real initiators are, as usual women?
Furthermore, I have no doubt WRC has not undertaken any critical assessment of the type of films they will be showing/promoting because men do not have the same lived experience as women and it is common for a male to consider certain films to be ‘entertainment’ when in reality they are misogynistic films which degrade women and laud men as the definitive super heroes!
It’s such a relief to hear somebody else saying this.
In all my time of feminist activism, I have rarely been as consistently disappointed with a supposedly dedicated organisation as I have with White Ribbon. Time and time again I have seen them presented with (if not personally presented them with) opportunities to use their significant platform and influence to comment, assist or act on issues and current events directly relating to violence against women in Australia. Not once have they taken action, preferring either a total lack of response or an endless chain of emails being forwarded and issues being ‘taken on board’. What use is an organisation dedicated to addressing violence against women, which refuses to listen to women telling them about the ways they are experiencing violence?
I’m pretty gobsmacked about the partnering with Woolworths Liquor. What on earth were WR thinking?
And, as I’m a marketer, I can’t help but think the whole idea is terribly lazing marketing. It’s a blatant rip-off of the Cancer Council’s Girls Night In fundraiser.
We have family who live in a large country town which has recently lost a long battle to stop Dan Murphy’s being set up in the middle of one of the areas worst affected by alcohol-related violence and family violence. Dan Murphy’s actually took the council to court for refusing the application on the basis of the adverse social impact the development would have on the community. I am absolutely astonished that White Ribbon would be partnering with a company which seems determined to profit from contributing to violence against women.
Thank you for raising this issue. As a DV worker, I have done work with White Ribbon and campaigns for White Ribbon Day. In one way it is good that they get the media attention on this issue, that we as NGOs have been unable to attract, but I question the amount of money they raise and where it goes. I have asked them myself why they don’t assist DV services and they praised our work but said they specialise in prevention. We are so desperate for funds to meet the demands on our services and are unable to attract the funding streams and levels that they attract. When White Ribbon was under Unifem there used to be grant programs and NGOs could purchase ribbons at a discounted price to participate but now it is full price for all. Also, it is near impossible to get one of their Ambassadors to attend an event for White Ribbon Day. I have contacted many of them (against their policy as they say they will contact them on your behalf but you never get a response), and they claim not to understand the role of an Ambassador other than to add their name in support. We actually now train local men interested in becoming Ambassadors so we have people to speak at WR events locally. As much as I appreciate the intent of their work, it is very disappointing.
Vicki, thank you so much for posting this comment. The point you make is so important and it is so helpful to hear from a worker at the coalface. Thanks on behalf of my colleagues for all you do for women.