City of Fremantle supports White Ribbon Day

The City of Fremantle is supporting White Ribbon Day, which raises awareness and commits action to prevent men’s violence against women.

White Ribbon Day will be held on Friday 20 November right across Australia, and is a time where communities come together to stand up, speak out and act, and say ‘no’ to gendered violence.

Tomorrow, the Fremantle Community Legal Centre is setting up an installation at the Purple Bench in Kings Square from 11am–2pm to raise awareness about White Ribbon’s cause.

The poignant installation comprises women’s and children’s shoes that represent this year’s victims of family domestic violence, alongside the victims’ stories.

To accompany the installation, Fremantle Library is exhibiting the stories and photos of the shoes that have been photographed across various recognisable Fremantle and other locations.

Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said over the past 12 months, on average one woman was killed every week in Australia as a result of domestic violence.

“Unfortunately, there are many forms of abuse prevalent in our communities, including financial, verbal, emotional, psychological, physical and sexual, with murder at the pointy end of a broad spectrum of violence against women,” Mayor Pettitt said.

“Violence against women in any way is unacceptable and it is never the victim’s fault. We hope Fremantle’s White Ribbon Day events will help break the silence and raise critical awareness about violence and abuse against women.”

For more information about the City of Fremantle’s White Ribbon Day event, visit the City’s website or Facebook event to view some of the photos and heart-breaking stories.

To learn more about White Ribbon Australia’s movement to end violence against women, visit whiteribbon.org.au.

If you are experiencing violence or suspect someone else is, please contact 1800 RESPECT for advice and support. In an emergency, call the police on 000.