At the last meeting of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (the “UCPR”) Council, which took place on November 22, 2023, Council Members participated in the Prescott and Russell White Ribbon Campaign led by Interlude House.
The White Ribbon Campaign runs internationally from November 25th to December 10th, with November 25th being the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This awareness campaign aims to enable men to position themselves as allies in the fight against violence against women, a reality unfortunately present in the region. In fact, Interlude House helps more than 500 women victims of violence each year.
At the UCPR Council Meeting on September 28th, the UCPR joined forces with Interlude House and the Prescott-Russell Coalition to End Violence Towards Women and invited the province of Ontario to declare that gender-based violence and intimate-partner violence are an epidemic.
“We encourage the community to also participate in the White Ribbon Campaign. Certainly, we take advantage of this campaign to promote healthy relationships and gender equity, but we must be aware that domestic violence exists all year round. To make the United Counties of Prescott and Russell a safe community for all women and girls, let us continue to educate ourselves and promote altruism,” declared Normand Riopel, Warden of the UCPR.