One million men, one million promises to help end gender-based violence

Our own Zerlina is still getting rape threats from conservatives who apparently think suggesting men can end sexual violence is the very height of stupidity. Meanwhile–over in the reality-based community–a global movement of men doing just that is growing.

Launched today by Breakthrough, in partnership with UN Women and grassroots groups from South Africa to Malaysia, the “Ring the Bell” campaign is aiming to get one million men to make one million promises to help end violence against women this year. Former football player Don McPherson explains:

What can men do?

Men do not just need to stop being violent. The vast majority of men are not violent. But men do need to stop being silent. Calling violence against women, whether street harassment or sexual harassment or rape or murder, a “women’s issue” allows men to ignore it as if we have no responsibility for it or stake in ending it. We all have grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters and female friends and colleagues. Our lives are inextricably interwoven; women’s issues of safety and equality directly affect our lives as men.

Beyond that, women are humans, with the same rights to safety and freedom as men. It is therefore our moral responsibility to not remain silent or passively on the sidelines, but to be actively engaged in confronting this problem in every corner of homes, communities and societies.

Check out the website to watch videos of dozens of men–from a Days of Our Lives star to the UN Secretary-General–making the promise. It’s really exciting to see so many men taking ownership and standing up to say–in the words of Dallas Mayor Rawlings–“it’s our problem.” It does indeed feel like we could be “on the brink of a global tipping point.”