White Ribbon pledge shows men’s support to OSCE action to stop violence against women

Six male diplomats and military officers today received white ribbons to honour their work to stop violence against women.

Ambassadors  Dominic Schroeder of the United Kingdom, Robert Kvile of Norway, Christian Strohal of Austria, Ayoob Erfani of Afghanistan, Colonel Simon Macrory-Tinning (UK) and Lt Colonel Detlef Hempel (Germany) were given the awards by OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier in a ceremony to mark the end of the 16 days of action against gender-based violence.

The white ribbons are the symbol of a global campaign of male solidarity, with each member promising to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and girls.

The event marked the first anniversary of the OSCE MenEngage network, set up in 2012 to garner men’s support to OSCE’s efforts to advance the rights of women and girls, one of the top priorities for the Organization. It complements the many projects throughout the OSCE region; including specialized police training sessions, supporting women leaders and helping boys and young men understand and promote tolerance and non-violence.

To see examples of projects, click here click here.