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. We can be good partners and most of all we can heal, sharing our example with our relatives & the world around us.
In our workplaces - 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 any unwanted 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. We can be part of stopping violence as men by making sure we ourselves are not causing violence to the women, girls & gender diverse in our lives. In Winnipeg domestic violence calls are the #2 call for service to police, we need non lethal community responses to support our relatives in both domestic violence calls as well as wellness checks.
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! Let’s continue to listen to Indigenous knowledge and the multitude of examples of mino bimadisiwin we see rising up every day.
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! We need men and boys to be the example in preventing violence in our minds, in our homes, in our workplace, in our communities and in these systems. When we cause harm, we apologize & be better. When we see harm being caused we interrupt that harm and stop it from happening. My teachings tell me that we as men are warriors when we sre protecting the village, including women, children and elders.
Are you doing your part to prevent or stop violence against women, girls and gender diverse kin?
