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14th November 2019
05:36pm GMT

“The FAI is proud to support the Men’s Development Network. It’s important that as one of Ireland’s leading sporting organisations, which represents both male and female athletes, we make our stance on gender-based violence known to fans. Our players wearing the campaign symbol, the white ribbon, ahead of kick-off, is a powerful statement to all our supporters that we wholly support the end of violence against women and want to use our platform to create a momentum for change and encourage fans to take the White Ribbon pledge to better understand gender-based violence, be more aware of their actions and speak out when they know that abuse has taken place.”Mark Khan, White Ribbon Engagement Officer at Men’s Development Network also pointed out the relevance behind raising awareness at one of the biggest sporting events in Ireland this year: “The research tells us that each time there is a major sporting event, there is a large spike in domestic violence towards women often when alcohol use collides with a team loss. Current statistics reveal a hard truth that more than one in five women have experienced gender-based violence but only 20 per cent of these crimes are reported, yet perpetrators are almost always known to the victim. This indicates that women we know – perhaps our family members, our friends, our colleagues - are in need of more support." White Ribbon Day coincides with the United Nation's designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and mark a series of events across the world to raise awareness of the impact of gender-based violence.

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