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'Right time' for men to speak at White Ribbon vigil

BBC/Amy Holmes A group of people stood in the dark, lit by mobile phone camera lighting, with Milton Keynes Hotel Le Tour lit up in the background.BBC/Amy Holmes
Milton Keynes' fifth annual White Ribbon vigil featured nine male speakers and a ceremony at MK Rose

A line-up of male speakers launched a city's vigil to tackle violence against women and girls.

The fifth annual White Ribbon Day event in Milton Keynes on Monday was under the national theme of 'It starts with men'.

It honoured those who have experienced abuse, and called on men and boys to challenge behaviours and attitudes that contribute to gender-based violence.

Organiser Jane Whild said she felt it was the right time to have men at the forefront of the event as "White Ribbon is all about male action and allyship".

Amy Holmes/BBC A picture of a white pillar in the dark, with a white ribbon tied to it, to donate white ribbon day.Amy Holmes/BBC
A white ribbon was tied round one of the pillars in MK Rose before the outdoor vigil began

"There is a long way to go - it is still very much a one-day-a-year marking of action. But we do not hear enough about what the action is during the rest of the year," she said.

After speeches at Milton Keynes Gallery, a procession to the MK Rose ended with a reading of the White Ribbon pledge and poems from domestic abuse charity MK Act and the city's Youth Council.

Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable Dennis Murray was among the nine men who spoke about violence against women.

He told the BBC: "One of the things we struggle with is people willing to stand the course of the criminal justice system to make sure we get a conviction.

"But hopefully events like this give them confidence people are behind them and they can speak out."

Amy Holmes/BBC A picture of a young man with short brown hair who is wearing a grey jacket with a white ribbon on it.Amy Holmes/BBC
Jay Virgo says it is important for queer men to advocate for women

A number of groups in Milton Keynes have become White Ribbon accredited or supporters by enlisting male ambassadors and female champions among their employees.

Jay Virgo from the LGBTQ+ group Q Alliance is one of those.

"I think it is so important for queer men to step forward and advocate for women and girls and particularly our transgender sisters who are obviously a part of a community that seldom gets given a platform at things like this," he said.

Therapist Gary Read, who works for sexual assault and abuse specialist services in the city, said: "Men speaking out at this event is really quite important because if the messages are coming from them, then hopefully more men will take that on board and more will listen."

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