A/HRC/17/23
change” in the prevention of violence against women. UNFPA produced a football video
game on violence against women disseminated during the last FIFA World Cup in South
Africa.
41.
The White Ribbon Campaign, which “encourages men and boys to wear white
ribbons on November 25 – the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against
Women – as a personal pledge to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence
against women” (A/61/122/Add.1 and Corr.1, para. 347) originated in Canada and is now
conducted in dozens of States around the world, including Ecuador, Singapore and
Thailand. In the United Kingdom, the White Ribbon Campaign works with men and boys
using five avenues: (a) sports; (b) music (including leading rock bands, venues, individual
performers, record labels and recording studios); (c) schools; (d) an “ambassadors”
programme whereby individual men and boys work for the campaign in their workplace,
educational institution, and/or community; and (e) an awareness-raising merchandizing
campaign every 25 November.
42.
Using the news media and information technologies is a promising practice as it can
enhance the quality of reporting and contribute to increased awareness and understanding of
the general public (A/61/122/Add.1 and Corr.1, para. 349). The Division for the
Advancement of Women also reported that media representations significantly influence
societal perceptions of acceptable behaviour and attitudes, and therefore training journalists
and other media personnel on women’s human rights and the root causes of violence against
women may influence the way in which the issue is reported and thereby influence societal
attitudes.
43.
In Malaysia, the Media and Publicity Committee under the Council for AntiTrafficking in Persons launched various public-awareness campaigns and programmes
through mass media (radio and television). In Spain the recent campaign entitled “Give a
red card to the abuser” had a large impact in the media. In Bangladesh, at the request of the
Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale
Zusammenarbeit developed a multimedia campaign addressing various forms of violence
against women, such as early marriage and sexual harassment/stalking, not through the
conventional showing of violence itself, but by illustrating positive actions as a result of
prevention or a well-managed violence case. The campaign included announcements for
radio and television, posters, telling the stories of real-life heroes under the slogan “Let’s
stop violence against women, let’s make society a happier place”. In the United States of
America a campaign was based on the documentary film Sin by Silence which focused on
worst-case scenarios where women victims of domestic violence felt obliged to resort to the
killing of their abusers. The film premiered in 2009 and has been used since as a compelling
communication vehicle to connect domestic violence agencies with their communities, to
promote the understanding of the reality of domestic violence, the cycle of violence and the
signs of an abuser.
44.
Finally, the Canadian Federation of University Women reported on a civil society
campaign on gun control targeted at a bill tabled before the Parliament of Canada to
suppress compulsory registration of “long guns” in the firearms inventory. The Federation,
referring to a study of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, stated that long
guns were used in 88 per cent of all intimate partner homicides against women in Canada.
The Federation undertook research to gather information and statistics, launched a postcard
campaign leading to the commemoration of the Montreal Massacre of 1989 where 14
women were killed with a long gun, and led a media campaign highlighting the value of the
gun registry. The main outcome was that the bill failed to pass, but the Federation also
reported positively on the coordination of women���s groups who worked together on the
campaign.
12
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