The Writing’s on the Stalls: We need more men to read it
We’ve launched The Writing’s on the Stalls, a national campaign highlighting the importance of men speaking up because of the scale of violence against women, which has been found to be the number one crime in 71% of UK regions*.
Not all men are the problem, but all men can be part of the solution.
In communities across the UK, men are stepping up to create safer spaces by taking everyday actions to prevent violence against women and girls, and it’s our mission to keep this on the rise.
We’re writing on the stalls of Chelsea & Bournemouth football clubs
In partnership with Chelsea FC and AFC Bournemouth, we’ve taken our message into an unexpected space: men’s toilets in football stadiums.
Speaking about the project, Hannah Powis, Head of EDI and Engagement at AFC Bournemouth, said:
“AFC Bournemouth are delighted to be extending our ongoing partnership with White Ribbon UK, through the introduction of posters which will be displayed in male facilities throughout Vitality Stadium and introducing fan ambassadors. The posters encourage male allyship and highlight its importance in helping to end violence against women and girls and follows the clubs VAWG campaign launched on White Ribbon Day in November 2024. As a club, we are actively encouraging all men to act as allies and help us call out sexist and misogynistic behaviour.”
Why are we doing this?
Manchester-based PR agency, Bottled Imagination, gathered data through Freedom of Information requests from nearly every police area in the UK, looking at reported crimes against women between 2020 and 2024.
The data shocked them, finding that there are on average over 2,000 reports of violent crimes against women every day*.
To do something about it, Bottled Imagination teamed up with White Ribbon UK, to produce posters to call more men into the conversation and speak up.
The opportunity to make a difference
While most men are not violent, there's a big difference between not causing harm and actively helping to prevent it.
Calling out sexist jokes, comments, or behaviours helps stop a culture of disrespect. At White Ribbon UK, we believe real change starts through small, daily actions that promote respect and equality for all.
Writing on the Stalls is asking men to be part of the solution by speaking up for change and calling out harmful behaviour.
Here’s what you can do:
Off to the pub after the match? Heard someone make a sexist “joke”? Don’t just pretend you didn’t hear it. Call it out. A simple, “That’s not funny, mate” or “What do you mean by that?” can shut it down fast. If you don’t feel comfortable saying anything, just don’t laugh along.
Listen without being defensive when women share their stories and ask how you can help. Let’s normalise these conversations just like chatting about the score, transfers or weekend plans.
Look out for women in the crowd, be aware and step in if needed, so that everyone can enjoy the match safely.
Take your allyship further by signing up to be a White Ribbon Ambassador and lead by example, in and out of the stadium.
Why? Because there are 86 reports of violence against women every hour.* And for every incident, there’s a chance someone could have stepped in.
*Key data findings
According to Bottled Imagination research, between 2020 and 2023, violent crimes against women rose by 19%. In 2023 alone, more than 760,000 incidents were reported — that’s over 2,000 a day, 86 an hour.
Sexual offences, including domestic abuse, rape, and unwanted sexual contact, have climbed at an average of 13.4% each year since 2020. In 2023, more than 107,000 cases were reported.
Stalking and harassment saw the sharpest rise in cases, increasing by 18.4% per year between 2020 and 2023, with over 165,000 women reporting incidents last year alone.
Methodology
Data was requested using Freedom of Information Requests (FOI) for all police areas within the UK for the figures on crime against women during the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, along with the outcomes of each crime. This data was analysed to show key trends, popular crimes and COVID-19's effects on crime against women. *NOTE not all police areas responded to the FOI requests. Dorset Police, Dyfed-Powys Police, Merseyside Police and Wiltshire Police did not. The Police Service of Northern Ireland provided data with the incorrect date format which could not be used within this analysis. Some police areas could not provide data for 2024 so these were highlighted as not available.