White Ribbon UK’s ‘Right to Respect’: June campaign launched

Throughout the month of June White Ribbon will be promoting their ‘Right to Respect’ campaign, supporting an end to abuse towards women in the workplace.

White Ribbon are the leading charity in England and Wales engaging men and boys to prevent men’s violence towards women and girls by addressing the causation at the root. This includes harmful views and attitudes, behaviour, language and expressions of masculinity that perpetuate gender-based violence.

The message behind ‘Right to Respect’ is that “Everyone deserves to be respected at work. Together, we can create workplaces where everyone feels like a valued part of the team and feels safe to speak up”

The campaign comes off the back of a recent survey that indicated that three in five women have experienced sexual harassment, bullying, or verbal abuse in the workplace. 

The New Duty to Prevent Sexual Harassment in the Workplace came into enforcement as part of the Worker Protection Act in October 2024, this means that employers must be shown to take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, with the EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission) amending their guidelines to reflect these changes. White Ribbon as part of the ‘Right to Respect Campaign’ will be working and partnering with organisations to ensure that that they understand the full scope of their responsibilities when it comes to the prevention of harm in the workplace.

David Strain British Medical Association (BMA) Medical Academic Staff Committee Chair, motioned to the medical union that the organisation should become White Ribbon accredited, adding that by doing so it would “boost the struggle to dismantle misogyny”. In May he addressed the BMA Medical Academic Staff Committee conference, publicly stating that violence against women was a “public health emergency”, a “societal injustice” and, in part, a cultural failure.

Strain also argued the case that the BMA should become a White Ribbon-accredited organisation. He followed up by arguing that the organisation itself had failed to effectively stamp out misogyny and it had been allowed to persist for too long, “including within our own workplaces, institutions and professions”.

He finalised with satiating that the BMA, as a trade union and professional body, must “change the culture that allows harm to happen in the first place”. This means taking proactive steps in preventative measures and not just relying on supporting victims of harm.

Gaining a White Ribbon accreditation provides organisations with the opportunity, to lead by example. This means:

• The appointment of ambassadors and champions, particularly men, who stand up against harassment, misogyny and violence.
• Embedding respect and gender equality into training, policies and events.
• Creating a culture condemning violence, not just verbally but in active practice.

Visit Croner BrAInbox today where you can find answers to questions like:
“Would I be liable for sexual harassment in my business if I didn't know it was happening?”

You can also find out more about White Ribbon and the work they do here.

Find out what your responsibilities are under the Worker Protection Act

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Call 0808 501 6651.