16 Days & 5 Places To End Violence

Today marks the international day to stop violence against women and girls. This year I was invited by the clan mothers to share some thoughts at their march but this message is for more than just those who come to the rally, it is for every man, boy and male identifying person who wants to take action to stop violence against women girls and gender diverse kin.

Today is a special day, it is a global acknowledgement of the work we still have to do to make our homes and communities safe. It is also a day that kicks off 16 days of action, from now until December 10 International Human Rights Day, we are asking everyone to think about the ways they can prevent and end violence in our communities and to take action.

I've thought of a couple places where men and boys can take action!

In our minds - we need to educate ourselves about the experiences and realities that women face when trying to live their lives and remain safe. We need to educate ourselves on the various identities (such as 2SLGBTQQIA+) and be cautious about the voice and language we use. We also have to be forgiving of ourselves and others as we learn: when we know better, we can do better - but many people still don't know better yet.

In our homes - with our own loved ones, we can treat our mothers, sisters, grannies, aunties and other women relatives with love, respect and understanding. We can make sure that we are being peaceful ourselves and calling the other men and boys in our lives to be peaceful too.

In our workplace - at work and in employment spaces there are many things we can do to stop violence against women. We can listen when women speak, aligning ourselves as allies and supports to help those women raise their voices and be heard respectfully. We can speak up when we see inappropriate behaviors and make sure that we use the systems in place to document the terrible behaviour and hold those who cause harm accountable.

In our community - when women and grandmothers make a call out for help, we as men should be there to respond. We need to show up when asked, share our gifts and talents where appropriate and often what we need to do is get out of the way! If we step aside and let the women take the lead then we can collectively work together to ensure we end violence.

In systems - if you hold a position of influence or leadership then do what you can to support and foster a safe environment for women and girls to grow into those same positions too. Ensure that policies and procedures do not cause harm and create opportunities for folks to speak up and suggest changes. Imagine systems where the kookums and aunties run things? I'd have faith in that system!

I don't want to reduce violence a little bit. I don't want to make the violence smaller. I want to eliminate and end violence all together. The only way we can do it is if we do it together, in our minds, in our homes, in our workplace, in our communit and in these systems. We need everyone if we are going to stop this violence.

Let's get to work!