White Ribbon Day 2025: Preventing violence against women and girls

Engaging with the White Ribbon Day campaign empowers education settings to take a stand against gender-based violence and foster a culture of respect, equity, and safety for women and girls. Support and resources are available to help education settings embed its themes into whole-education setting approaches that strengthen safeguarding, curriculum, and community values.

What is White Ribbon Day?

White Ribbon Day is observed annually on 25 November to raise awareness and take action to end violence against women and girls (VAWG). It is part of a global movement that encourages men and boys to be active allies in challenging harmful gender norms and promoting respectful relationships.

Each year's theme is based on the latest evidence about what works best in prevention—this year it's We Speak Up. Find out more about White Ribbon Day here.

Why is it relevant in Norfolk schools?

Local and national data show that many girls experience sexual harassment, abuse, and online harm:

• 88% of girls aged 13+ report receiving unwanted sexual content
• 68% of girls aged 11-21 change their behaviour to avoid harassment
• Only 9% of girls feel safe online
• Norfolk's Flourish Survey shows 1 in 4 pupils feel only "OK" or worse about their safety in relationships

These figures indicate the need to ensure a comprehensive approach to VAWG is aligned with and part of a strong and effective whole school and college safeguarding culture.

Why take a strategic, values-based approach?

Marking White Ribbon Day helps education settings:

• Promote gender equality and respectful relationships
• Support RSHE curriculum and safeguarding duties
• Build a culture of empathy, inclusion, and safety
• Encourage allyship and challenge toxic influences

How can education settings mark it impactfully and safely?

1. Staff training and safeguarding

• Ensure staff are briefed on the sensitive nature of the topic, and reminded how to deliver RSHE safely and sensitively
• Use NCC's Safeguarding Toolkit and guidance on Sexual violence and sexual harassment
• Signpost support services for pupils, families, and staff
• Involve your Domestic Abuse Champion or consider identifying a staff member to become a NIDAS trained Domestic Abuse Champion

2. Assemblies and classroom activities

• Use age-appropriate resources to explore respect, consent, and equality.  You can find some examples in the Curriculum and RSHE Integration section of White Ribbon Day padlet

3. Whole education setting engagement

• Invite everyone to take the White Ribbon pledge:

"I will never use, excuse or remain silent about men's violence against women."

• Display pledges, artwork, and messages in shared spaces and online

4. Pupil-led activities

• Empower pupil councils or peer mentors to lead discussions and campaigns
• Include pupil voice in RSHE planning and respectful behaviour initiatives

5. Signposting support

• Explore our White Ribbon Day padlet for Norfolk education settings, which contains useful links to information, advice and guidance for those affected by VAWG

6. Create a culture of active bystanding

• Use White Ribbon Day to raise awareness of or to kickstart a whole setting culture of allyship and active bystanding. 
• Find out more about the Bystander Intervention Programme on tackling sexist language and sexual harassment in schools and colleges, or book a place on the upcoming training.

Want to know more about White Ribbon Day and the themes it addresses?

We have created a White Ribbon Day One Minute Guide which offers information and helpful signposting in an accessible format.

Our upcoming Practice Week - Resilience makes Brilliance - has dedicated Tuesday 25 November to White Ribbon Day.  The brochure and all the information you need is available online.

Embedding a whole-education setting approach to preventing VAWG

White Ribbon Day can be a powerful launchpad for a sustained, strategic commitment to tackling VAWG across your education setting community. A whole-education setting approach ensures that values of respect, equality, and safety are consistently reinforced through curriculum, culture, and leadership which underpins community cohesion.

Our White Ribbon Day padlet contains resources to support a whole-education setting framework for preventing VAWG in education settings: resources, frameworks, strategies and information, advice and guidance for tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) across all aspects of education setting life.

What further support is available for education settings wanting to develop their RSHE curriculum or a culture of belonging?

Norfolk County Council has a comprehensive offer of support available to education settings available here.

If, after exploring the links above, you require support around RSHE or wider "Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging" from an adviser or have additional queries, please call 0333 313 7165. This phone line is open on weekdays, from 9am to 5pm.

If you would like further advice, guidance and support on safeguarding in education, please contact the Education Safeguarding Team at [email protected].