Tomorrow we join with thousands of others to acknowledge White Ribbon Day – a day where real men stand up to say that violence against women is not OK.
Across the world today there is a poverty of value. A poverty in value that sees young women sold into slavery, sees girls not afforded the basic rights to education and sees the mistreatment of females through word, action and deed. This poverty of value extends even here, right in our own backyard. Each week one Australian woman dies at the hands of domestic violence.
Every woman is someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, wife, mother, friend. And more than that, every woman is a child of the living God. And as men, it is our infinite honour, privilege and duty to protect and place value on women – all women. Not in a domineering, unequal or chauvinistic manner, but in order to see each woman live in the freedom, security and potential that they are capable of and that God sees in each one of them.
If you are a recipient of violence, then can I encourage you – tell someone. With all sincerity, whether you are religious or not - find a local church or alternatively, visit: whiteribbon.org.au/finding-help for a list of incredible support services and agencies that provide everything from medical attention to counseling to protection; and allow people to find you the help, care and confidentiality that you deserve
This weekend in our services, we took a stand for the women in our world. We pledged that we would not accommodate jokes about violence, we would not turn away from difficult conversations or situations that require our action and we would not in any manner be ok with the abusive treatment – physically or mentally – of women.
Don’t neglect to show the women in your life their infinite value TODAY.
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