MELROSE –– The Melrose Alliance Against Violence (MAAV) will host its 8th Annual White Ribbon Day Event in collaboration with the City of Melrose on Friday, March 7 at 1 p.m. The brief event, which calls upon those of all genders, and of all ages to stand up and participate in the process of ending gender-based violence, will take place in front of City Hall’s Essex Street entrance. In the case of inclement weather, the event will be held inside the Council Chambers located on the first floor of City Hall.
One in three women worldwide experiences physical or sexual violence, according to emerging data from a 2021 United Nations (UN) report, Measuring the Shadow Pandemic: Violence Against Women During COVID-19. The report’s data suggests that since the outbreak of COVID-19, all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, have intensified.
The ceremony will begin with a pledge of nonviolence led by Melrose High School (MHS) students, followed by remarks by community leaders and MAAV board members. The ceremony will conclude with drumming from MHS Band Members while the White Ribbon Day flag is raised.
Held annually in Melrose the first week of March, White Ribbon Day was originally created by a group of Canadian men in 1991 in response to the massacre of 14 women in Montreal. It is now an international event that occurs in more than 60 countries worldwide.
“We are pleased to hold this annual, powerful event where individuals of all ages come together as leaders to speak out and take a stand against gender-based violence, specifically intimate partner violence,” says MAAV Executive Director Crystal Johnson. “We strive to bring leaders and community partners together as part of the solution and believe it’s especially important to involve students and male-identifying individuals. Students will lead the White Ribbon Day pledge, where participants pledge never to commit, excuse, or stay silent about gender-based violence.”
The ceremony will be broadcast to the community via MMTV, and social media channels at MAAV, and at Melrose High School and is sponsored by Melrose Alliance Against Violence and the City of Melrose Mayor’s Office.
For more information visit www.maav.org or contact MAAV at 781-662-2010.
About the Melrose Alliance Against Violence
The mission of the Melrose Alliance Against Violence is to raise community awareness of domestic and teen dating violence and to promote programs that work to reduce violence and encourage healthy relationships. MAAV programs include community awareness activities, education, and prevention programs in the schools, including mentoring and peer leadership programs, as well as information, support, resources, and referral services for victims, family members, and the community at large.