November 25th is White Ribbon Day and also marks the start of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence. The theme for White Ribbon Day 2024 is “It starts with men” and we asked Dwayne Gumbs from Diverse Voices to reflect on the theme and how being an ally plays a key part in addressing violence against women and girls…
We live in a world where unfair gender- based views around ideals of beauty, expectations within relationships and roles in society, create a toxic minefield that young people have to navigate, both in real life and online. Perpetrators of violence against women and girls are one of the products of this unhealthy environment.
For the past 15 years, my charity, Diverse Voices has been providing creative outlets for young people from vulnerable communities to express themselves and have their voices heard around sensitive topics. At the heart of our work is the belief that we can help create the positive changes we want to see in the world, through guiding and inspiring the next generation.
Through our work with young people, we have seen how harmful views which can lead to violence against women and girls (VAWG) in adulthood have seeds which are planted at an early age.
Diverse Voices supports both young boys and girls to reflect on these harmful attitudes, so I feel honoured to write a guest blog for White Ribbon Day. I believe that alongside all of the positive work being done to support the victims and survivors of violence, we need to do a lot more to tackle the unhealthy ideologies at the root of where they are formed, in the minds of young boys.
School system
The school system has a huge role to play, during a weekday most children and young people spend more time in the care of their teachers than they do of their parents/carers, and for a lot of children being online also ranks higher than the contact time they have with their responsible adults.
In the most recent Ofcom Media Use & Attitudes Report they found that by the ages of 5-7, 96% of children have access to the internet. Between home, the outside world and school is where our identities are formed, so we must all take ownership of what we can do to break the cycle, so no matter what a young person has seen, experienced, or learnt, the people around them will call out what is wrong and stand for what is right. This also means closely monitoring young people’s online usage, as a lot of their time is spent on social media which perpetuates the unhealthy viewpoints we’re combating.
Having attended an all-boy secondary school, a lot of the unhealthy ideas we projected went unchallenged, in some cases they were even encouraged, as the saying ‘boys will be boys’ could be used to normalise actions and attitudes that shouldn’t have been acceptable. Sadly, some adults will never grow out of this behaviour.
Our future
In a patriarchal society men hold the power, so to not be an ally against VAWG is an abuse of that power. If we raise the next generation to pass down the right values, reject unhealthy ideas and challenge gender biases, we will raise adults that believe in running the world fairly in the future.
I learnt a lot about consent and respect for women.Participant, Diverse Voices
Our sessions at Diverse Voices are led by arts -based practitioners, who are trained by us to use drama and creative methods of exploring the themes and topics. Students watch a film we’ve produced as part of a bespoke online portal where we are mindful to provide a safe learning environment by using distancing techniques where the decision making of the character’s choices are questioned. By facilitating peer-to-peer learning through engaging them in debates, discussions and roleplay around the various scenarios raised, we encourage positive solutions and empower them to make healthy decisions.
Through the work we do adopting a Whole Schools Approach in an inclusive discourse, we make a statement that together we are all united in the fight for equality. Our future generations must be equipped to feel confident to reject toxic masculinity and understand the implications of one’s actions. Bit by bit, step by step I hope our charity effects the grassroots of young people’s attitudes towards women and girls. To break repetitive behaviour, our work must enter at the source.
I feel more confident in handling and responding to these situations for myself and others.Participant, Diverse Voices
Funder support
The relationship we’re building with The London Community Foundation is so important to us at Diverse Voices, as we’ve found an ally in our approach to preventing VAWG by educating young people through creative arts-based learning.
Through the MOPAC Grassroots Fund and the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund we have received funding for our work to be delivered in secondary schools across four London boroughs, providing a 5 week programme where students explore healthy and unhealthy relationships, the laws around consent and how to identify sexually harmful behaviour.
Diverse Voices are one of 36 specialist community organisations supported by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) Violence Against Women and Girls Grassroots Fund. They have also received funding from the Evening Standard Show Respect programme.
Throughout the 16 Days of Activism, we’ll be sharing activities and reflections from the organisations supported by the VAWG Grassroots Fund on our social media channels – along with other organisations working to bring an end to gender-based violence.