Young Men in Leeds Speak Out Against Misogyny

Local youth group joins White Ribbon Day campaign to challenge violence against women

Young men from a Leeds youth group, supported by the city council’s youth service team, have taken part in this year’s White Ribbon Day campaign on 25 November. The initiative focuses on encouraging men to speak out against violence towards women and girls, with the theme for 2025 being ‘We Speak Up’.

White Ribbon Day and the Promise

White Ribbon Day invites everyone, especially men, to make the White Ribbon Promise: to never use, excuse, or remain silent about violence against women. The campaign aims to foster a culture where violence is not tolerated and respect is upheld for all.

Leeds City Council, a White Ribbon-accredited organisation, works alongside partners including West Yorkshire Police to promote safety initiatives and raise awareness about violence against women and girls.

Youth Service Engagement

The Leeds youth service provides a supportive environment for young people to explore and challenge harmful attitudes. Through safe spaces, boys and girls are encouraged to reflect on how their actions affect others and to discuss issues around violence and respect.

For White Ribbon Day, young men in the group were asked to consider their role in creating safe spaces for women and girls. Some participants shared their views:

• A 14-year-old boy said, “No woman should be harassed or made to feel uncomfortable.”
• Another 14-year-old added, “Girls feel less safe on the street than boys do, and I think it should come to an end.”
• One young man said he is speaking up because “kids shouldn’t see their mum being harassed or abused.”
• A 21-year-old participant commented, “If a guy sees another guy disrespecting a girl, or anyone, he should stand up against it.”

The group collectively took a pledge to show respect, avoid causing harm, and never use physical or psychological violence.

16 Days of Activism and Local Events

White Ribbon Day marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, an international campaign running from 25 November to 10 December. The 2025 theme is ‘End digital violence against all women and girls’.

Leeds will host an action day on 29 November, with representatives present at the Woodhouse Moor parkrun and along the Otley Run route to promote the campaign and women’s safety initiatives.

Council Initiatives to Improve Safety

Leeds City Council has implemented several initiatives to enhance safety for women and girls, including:

• Partnership with the WalkSafe app, a free tool designed to promote safe walking at night.
• The recent launch of the Stop the Spike campaign, providing nightlife venues with training and resources to recognise and respond to spiking incidents.

Councillor Sharon Hamilton, deputy executive member for community safety and lead for the women’s safety agenda, said:

“We are proud to be a White Ribbon-accredited organisation. Tackling violence against women and girls is a key priority for us and is something we will continue to work hard on together with West Yorkshire Police and other partners. It will not be tolerated in our city.

It’s great to hear the young men working with our youth service speaking up about these topics. We all need to be better at not letting people get away with misogyny in any form, and speaking up when something is not right.”

Background on White Ribbon and 16 Days of Activism

White Ribbon began in 1991 as a movement to engage men in preventing violence against women. The 16 Days of Activism is an annual international campaign linking abuse and violence against women to human rights, running from the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November) to International Human Rights Day (10 December).