THUNDER BAY – Nearly 50 grade seven to 10 male students from Lakehead Public Schools throughout the city are attending the Engaging Male Students to Reduce and Prevent Gender-Based Violence workshop today aimed at preventing gender-based violence against women and girls. The training conference brings together presenters from various organizations in the city to educate the boys with the knowledge and skills they need to become kind men. Some of the topics covered at the workshop include respect, popular culture influences, healthy relationships and consent.
“We are very proud of the boys in attendance and their commitment to take a stand against gender-based violence,” says Jeff Upton, Lakehead Public Schools Education Officer and workshop organizer. “To see this program continue to grow with support from new and returning presenters in our community is very rewarding.”
Student leaders from each Lakehead Public Schools elementary and secondary school are learning skills to help them be effective leaders on the issue of gender-based violence among their peers. The goal, upon completing the workshop, is to see the boys organize awareness events in their schools to commemorate the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women on Thursday, Dec. 6, the day the Montreal massacre happened 29 years ago.
The White Ribbon Campaign is a global movement of men and boys working to end male violence against women and girls. White Ribbon positively engages men, young men and boys through relevant educational programming that challenges language and behaviours, as well as harmful ideas of manhood that can lead to violence against women.
