(Image: White Ribbon Australia/Facebook)

White Ribbon Australia has launched its latest campaign to raise awareness of men’s violence against women: a parade of 50 jet skis around Sydney Harbour. The event has, unsurprisingly, garnered criticism, with NSW Labor MP Jodie Harrison calling the event a “tone deaf” and “confusing” stunt. 

This isn’t the first time the anti-violence charity has faced criticism. Over the past decade it’s run a number of questionable campaigns; been accused of poor financial oversight and taking funding from other, more practical charities; and has seen a revolving door of directors as some of its ambassadors are accused of perpetrating the very violence White Ribbon seeks to prevent.

Slacktivism and bleeding cash

White Ribbon has been in dire financial straits for years — and the further it went into the red, the stranger its marketing campaigns became.

In 2016-2017 employee expenses chewed up more than half of the organisation’s $5.6 million revenue, with travel and accommodation costing more than $240,000. White Ribbon nearly accepted a sizeable donation from Fairfield Hotel in 2017, with the venue pledging the money in exchange for permission from authorities to install more poker machines — despite research linking the number of poker machines in an area with levels of domestic violence. White Ribbon only turned down the deal when contacted by journalists. 

By 2018, sponsors began abandoning the charity in droves as key directors left the board. So in 2019, it launched the “Cheese for Change” initiative, encouraging friends and colleagues to get together and discuss the prevention of violence against women. By making “cheese platters that matter”, we could form a “genuine connection with everyday Australians” to raise funds for an important cause.

The charity actually went into liquidation in 2019 before being bought in 2020 by Communicare. But the bad ideas didn’t stop there. In August of this year, it was forced to remove an appeal stating “a donation of $49 will educate one man in person around violence prevention”, with critics arguing the campaign essentially asked people to “sponsor an abuser”. The following month, a senior executive suggested the charity sell “wife beater” singlets for $1000 a pop. But it was okay — the singlets would have a QR code printed on them linking to a domestic violence awareness website. (The idea was quickly shut down internally.)

These fundraising efforts are more than just silly — they take attention and money away from other organisations offering clearer benefits (such as in 2013, when funding was diverted from a rape crisis centre to White Ribbon).

A series of dangerous appointments

White Ribbon positions women’s safety as a men’s issue and with male ambassadors at the front and centre of its campaign. But the charity has been picking the wrong men to represent it.

Take former ambassador Tanveer Ahmed who, in 2015, published an op-ed in The Australian arguing that the domestic violence debate focused on “male villainy … and a cult of victimhood”. The loss of traditional masculinity left men “lost and isolated” while “females enjoy greater autonomy and expectations”, and fatherlessness was an equal epidemic to domestic violence, he wrote. Bizarrely, Ahmed was not asked to step down from his role but did so voluntarily several days after publication. 

Former presenter of The Chase Andrew O’Keefe was appointed chair in 2007, later becoming an ambassador. He’s since been arrested multiple times for allegedly assaulting women and is currently undergoing a rehabilitation program. 

Last year it was revealed that former White Ribbon ambassador Jon Seccull had been convicted of nine counts of rape. His former partner Michelle Skewes said he used the charity appointment to normalise his four and a half years of abuse against her.

Strange stances and a revolving door

Shortly after Queensland decriminalised abortion in October 2018, White Ribbon executives decided it was time to make a statement… against women’s reproductive rights. 

The organisation took down a statement, issued the year prior, highlighting the prevalence of unplanned pregnancy among victims of domestic violence and pushing for decriminalisation. It also contacted pregnancy counselling and sexual health providers to notify them of the shift. 

Then chief executive Tracy McLeod said the organisation wanted to be “agnostic” until it could engage with stakeholders. She quickly backtracked and reinstated the original position, before stepping down. She served just three months in the role. 

McLeod’s departure coincided with a mass exodus of board members. Six directors left between 2016 and 2018, including two who quit after just a few months.

Among those who stepped down was board head Nicholas Cowdery, following comments he made about convicted baby killer Keli Lane’s sex life, calling her a “risk to the virile young male portion of the community”. 

If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault or violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.

For counselling, advice and support for men in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania who have anger, relationship or parenting issues, call the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491. Men in WA can contact the Men’s Domestic Violence Helpline on 1800 000 599.