White Ribbon Campaign: Sky Sports supporting charity to end violence against women and girls

This weekend, Sky Sports is supporting the White Ribbon Campaign (WRC), which is a global movement of men and boys working to end male violence against women and girls.

On November 25 every year, the world marks White Ribbon Day, which is also the United Nations’ Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Over the course of this weekend, sports fans across the UK will see their favourite Sky Sports presenters and pundits wear White Ribbons in support of White Ribbon Day, the internationally recognised day where men show their year-long commitment to ending violence against women and girls.

Sky Sports’ support of White Ribbon Day represents an important cultural shift happening across sports, where sexist and misogynistic attitudes are no longer being tolerated – whether that is in the stands, on the pitch, or in changing rooms.

On Tuesday, the Football Association of Wales showed its support to ending men’s violence against women and girls by dedicating Wales’ final Euro 2024 qualifier against Turkey to White Ribbon Day.

To show your support and for more information about White Ribbon UK, visit www.whiteribbon.org.uk.

Warning: the content below contains details some readers may find distressing and upsetting.

If you are affected by any of the things below then there is more help and support available at www.sky.com/viewersupport. There is also information on there from Women’s Aid and Refuge, which can provide more support should you need it.

The effects of domestic abuse

Emma Armstrong, I Choose Freedom Deputy Chief Executive, told Sky Sports News:

“Being a survivor, I was subjected to financial abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse and also coercive controlling behaviour, and for me the most powerful part was the coercive controlling behaviour.

“My ex would use threats of suicide and he threatened to harm himself if I tried to leave the relationship, and for me, that was the reason that I stayed with him for so long.

“I stayed in the relationship for five years and there were some attempts that he made that were real, and then there were attempts that he made that were fake that were basically just to scare me and to frighten me and to make me return to the relationship after his behaviour.

“On the last occasion when I did leave him, he was arrested for and charged with domestic abuse. But I was too afraid to press charges and so I dropped the charges against him and he [committed suicide] in our flat.”

‘Men need to think about their own behaviour’

Anthea Sully, White Ribbon UK Chief Executive, told Sky Sports News:

“Men do need to think about their own behaviour. They need to be challenging their own attitudes and the assumptions that they have and think about that.

“It can be very easy for men to say, ‘Well, I’m not violent. This isn’t me. This isn’t how I behave’.

“I think it’s important to check yourself on that and spend time asking questions to women that you know – you may be surprised that the answers they give you about how they’re living their lives and how we talk about women risk assessing all the time to keep themselves safe, so it’s worth having those conversations.

“Then think when you’re out with your friends, when you’re at work, talking to your colleagues – are there things that make you then reflect and think that that’s uncomfortable what’s being said here? Are there sexist jokes being spoken? And knowing how to intervene in that is so important, so it’s about going that extra stage to thinking, ‘Actually, I don’t want to be silent about this. We need to talk about this’.”

Links between domestic abuse and sporting events

Laura Farris, Home Office Minister, told Sky Sports News:

“One or two of the most serious cases that have occurred in the last five years, some of which have resulted in the woman losing her life, have started that day at a sport match.

“It can’t be denied that there is sometimes a very dark sort of stream that happens between the sport match and then behind closed doors later on.

“I’m very proud that Sky Sports is supporting White Ribbon and I hope that your fans, viewers, readers and even the players will get behind this campaign and see the really vital role that they can play in this.”

Domestic abuse ‘too often goes completely under the radar’

Teresa Parker, Women’s Aid, told Sky Sports News:

“I think it’s fantastic progress that Sky Sports are marking White Ribbon Day, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women worldwide and actually shining the spotlight on an important issue that too often goes completely under the radar.

“Domestic abuse is experienced largely by women, but it’s not a women’s issue and it’s only if women and men come together across society to call it out, so it’s really important that sports media, including Sky Sports, do this and mark the day.”