white ribbon

{{main article|White Ribbon Campaign}}

File:White ribbon opposing violence against women - 20151130-02.jpg in Singapore during White Ribbon Week 2015, a campaign opposing violence against women]]

After the École Polytechnique massacre on December 6, 1989, where 14 women were killed by an anti-feminist, a movement formed in Canada involving men wearing the white ribbon to signify opposition to violence against women.{{cite book |last1= Wood |first1= Julia T. |title= Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender, and Culture |edition= 8th |year= 2008 |publisher= Cengage Learning |location= Belmont, Calif. |isbn= 978-1-4282-2995-2 |pages= 82–103 |chapter= The Rhetorical Shaping of Gender: Men's Movements in America |chapter-url= http://www.uky.edu/~addesa01/documents/GenderedLivesCh.4.pdf }}

The White Ribbon Campaign (WRC) appeared in 1991 in relation to this movement and became one of the largest men's anti-violence programs in the world. Started by activists such as Michael Kaufman and Toronto politicians like the late New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton, it has now spread to over 57 countries around the world. It is now an international effort of men and boys working to end violence against women. Its basic principle is the importance of men and boys speaking out against all forms of violence against women. For that purpose, members of the WRC offer a variety of presentations and workshops on violence. In Canada, the campaign is run from November 25 (the International Day for the Eradication of Violence Against Women) until December 6, Canada's National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Other countries support 16 Days of Activism from November 25 until December 10, but campaigns can occur at any time of the year.{{cite web |url = http://www.whiteribbon.ca/about_us/ |title = The White Ribbon Campaign — The Campaign |access-date = 2009-06-03 |publisher = The White Ribbon Campaign |archive-date = 2012-09-18 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120918054250/http://www.whiteribbon.ca/about_us/ |url-status = dead }}

In 2014, A Voice for Men launched whiteribbon.org as a counter to the White Ribbon campaign.Browne, Rachel. (November 4, 2014). "[http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/domestic-violence-group-white-ribbon-australia-in-domain-name-dispute-20141104-11gqz9.html Domestic violence group White Ribbon Australia in domain name dispute]", Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 7, 2015.Filipovic, Jill. (October 24, 2014). "[http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/news/a32452/antifeminist-site-white-ribbon/ Why Is an Anti-Feminist Website Impersonating a Domestic Violence Organization?]", Cosmopolitan. Retrieved July 7, 2015. Accused of "hijacking" White Ribbon,Schetzer, Alana. (November 2, 2014). "[http://www.smh.com.au/national/fake-white-ribbon-website-faces-legal-action-20141031-11f556.html 'Fake' White Ribbon website faces legal action]", Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 7, 2015. the site was harshly criticized by Todd Minerson, executive director of The White Ribbon Campaign, who described it as "a copycat campaign articulating their archaic views and denials about the realities of gender-based violence".Minerson, Todd. (October 23, 2014). "[http://www.whiteribbon.ca/news/white-ribbon-copycat-statement/ White Ribbon Copycat Statement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026000826/http://www.whiteribbon.ca/news/white-ribbon-copycat-statement/ |date=2014-10-26 }}", White Ribbon. Retrieved July 7, 2015. According to the site, its purpose is to present the view that domestic violence is "not a gendered problem".[http://whiteribbon.org/about/ White Ribbon: About] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730004319/http://whiteribbon.org/about/ |date=2016-07-30 }}'', whiteribbon.org. Retrieved July 7, 2015. According to Cosmopolitan magazine, the site is used to display "anti-feminist propaganda".{{cite web |url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/news/a32452/antifeminist-site-white-ribbon/|title= Why Is an Anti-Feminist Website Impersonating a Domestic Violence Organization?| first=Jill|last=Filipovic|author-link=Jill Filipovic|date=24 October 2014 |work=Cosmopolitan |publisher = Hearst Communications |access-date=6 December 2014}}

In the beginning of 2003, a custom, largely influenced by the Échec à la guerre collective, emerged in Quebec of wearing the white ribbon to show a belief in the need for peace (mostly in opposition to the then-impending war in Iraq). The roots of the choice of the white ribbon are probably the traditional association of white with peace and the White Ribbon Campaign.

Premier Bernard Landry took to wearing the white ribbon and the other two main party leaders in Quebec, Jean Charest and Mario Dumont, followed suit.

At county and state fairs in the United States, a white ribbon often denotes a third-place finish in a contest.

File:WhiteRibbonRussia.jpg

During the 2011–2013 Russian protests, the white ribbon emerged as a symbol of opposition and since the elections has picked up momentum. Many Russians have been tying it to their clothing, cars, and other objects, and the motif has appeared on runet and on Twitter.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16097709 |title=Russia protest: White ribbon emerges as rallying symbol |website=BBC |access-date=9 December 2011 |date=9 December 2011 |first=Maria |last=Vassilieva}} By 10 December, the TV Rain channel was showing a white ribbon by its on-screen logo. The station's owner, Natalya Sindeyeva, explained this as being a sign of "sincerity", rather than "propaganda", and an attempt to be "mediators" instead of simply journalists.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16067899 |title=Protests barely seen on Russian TV |website=BBC News |access-date=9 December 2011 |date=7 December 2011}} NTV described 10 December as the day of "white ribbons".{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16128473 |title=Analysis: Russian TV grapples with protests |website=BBC News |access-date=10 December 2011 |date=10 December 2011 |first=Stephen |last=Ennis}} Vladimir Putin compared the white ribbons to condoms being used as a symbol of the fight against AIDS.{{cite web |url=http://www.izvestia.ru/news/509758 |title="Известия" (Putin Compares Protesters' Ribbons to Condoms) |language=ru |date=15 December 2011 |website=Izvestia.ru}}

At the Streamy Awards of 2010, white ribbons were worn in support of net neutrality.{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i682d2ee2ce2c81787efa92021b1a0831 |title=Streamys honor best of web series |access-date=2010-04-13 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=2010-12-04 |first=Karen |last=Nicoletti |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415050718/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i682d2ee2ce2c81787efa92021b1a0831 |archive-date=April 15, 2010 }}{{cite web |url = http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/exclusive-youtube-ceo-chad-hurley-defends-net-neutrality-16227 |title = YouTube CEO Chad Hurley Defends Net Neutrality |access-date = 2010-04-13 |website= TheWrap |date=2010-12-04}}

It also means friendship.

White ribbons are used to signify support for self-harmers (from people who are not self-harmers themselves), while white and orange ribbons represent self-harmers who are trying to quit or have succeeded in doing so already.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}}

White ribbons are used for teen pregnancy prevention awareness.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}}

White ribbons have also been used to protest child pornography. The white is supposed to signify the protection of innocence and purity.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}}

White ribbons are used to promote awareness for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and SCID Newborn screening. Since 2001, when many SCID families met face-to-face for the first time, the white ribbon was used as a way to identify themselves to one another. White was the chosen color because it would honor all the SCID angels lost to this horrific disease. White ribbons continue to honor all those SCID angels and remind the world that SCID Newborn Screening is their legacy.{{cite web|url=http://www.scid.net |title = SCID}}

In 2019, the government of Catalonia changed a yellow ribbon on a banner on its headquarters building in Barcelona to a white ribbon in response to a ban by the national government of Spain on yellow ribbons on public buildings due to it being viewed as a political symbol (it is used there to call for release of political prisoners).{{Cite web|url=http://www.catalannews.com/politics/item/president-replaces-yellow-ribbon-on-government-hq-with-white-one|title=President replaces yellow ribbon on government HQ with white one|date=2019-03-21|website=Catalan News|language=en|access-date=2019-03-21}}

• Ribbon
• Stop Violence Against Women, a campaign of Amnesty International
• Symbolism of white
• White flag
• White Knot a white ribbon for the marriage equality movement

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• {{Commons category inline|White ribbons}}

{{Awareness ribbon}}

Category:Awareness ribbon

Ribbon, white