IT SEEMS an appalling statistic, but research suggests that
between a quarter and a half of all women in the UK experience
domestic violence. On 29 November, St Edward the Confessor, at
Dringhouses, York, is hosting a day to raise
awareness of the issue, when there will be guest speakers to
provide information about the prevalence of such violence, and
about the White Ribbon campaign.
"I've been a vicar in York for 14 years now," the Revd Martin
Baldock (right), of St Edward's, says. "In that time, I've
heard people's stories that have shocked me to the core. Violence
against women happens more than you think, in the UK and across the
world. It has been hidden in this country, and needs naming and
tolerating no longer.
"I'm delighted that York is starting to wake up to the problem .
. . with the city's bus-advertisement campaign against domestic
violence and the city's receipt of White Ribbon status in May. But
that's not enough. All men in this city need to learn more about
the extent of violence against women, to sign the pledge to never
condone it, and to wear a white ribbon."
"Silence is not an option, and ignorance is no excuse," the
director of the White Ribbon campaign UK, Chris Green, says. The
campaign, originally started by a group of men, now has the support
of Christian organisations, including the Mothers' Union, which
offers an action pack that may be downloaded from its website.