We Speak Up: Jerome Martello

Photo: Claudia Janke

Meet Jermone Martello, a White Ribbon UK Ambassador and Senior Violence Reduction Unit Workshop Lead for Violence Against Young People and Violence Against Women and Girls, committed to speaking up and taking action to help end violence against women and girls. We spoke to Jerome about his deeply personal motivations for becoming an Ambassador and the importance of seeing this as not just a women’s issue, but a societal one.  

What motivates you to be a White Ribbon Ambassador? 

I am motivated by a deep belief that everyone deserves to live free from fear and harm. Violence against women and girls is not just a women’s issue—it’s a societal issue that demands collective responsibility. Becoming a White Ribbon Ambassador is about using my voice and influence to challenge harmful norms, promote respect, and create spaces where equality and equity thrive. I am driven by the conviction that silence enables violence, and that men have a critical role in dismantling systems that perpetuate it. For me, this is not symbolic—it’s a commitment to action, advocacy, and accountability. I want to help build a culture where safety and dignity are non-negotiable, and where allyship is the norm, not the exception. 

Do you have a personal story or experience you’d like to share? 

Yes. My commitment to ending violence against women and girls is deeply personal. I grew up witnessing domestic abuse and at a very young age, I realised how much of that trauma shaped my own life. At sixteen, I was homeless, angry, and distrustful, carrying the ripple effects of violence into adulthood. It wasn’t until years later, that I recognised I had become desensitised to violence. That moment changed everything. I understood how cycles of harm spread—from homes to communities, schools, and workplaces. My lived experience fuels my determination to break that cycle. 

And now, as a professional, I see this ripple effect, this perpetual cycle of violence impacting young people, families, and our communities.  Women have been both surviving and fighting courageously for years against both physical and non-physical violence. While not all men are perpetrators of violence, all men have a key role to play in ending it. 

What message would you give to other men, to encourage them to be allies to women and girls? 

Allyship starts with listening, learning, and challenging ourselves. It’s not passive—it is active, intentional, and transformative. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being present. We don’t have all the answers, and the only experts are those that experience VAWG – women. However, you have so much value to bring to the table. I would tell men: your voice matters, your actions matter, and your silence matters.  

Speak out against sexism, call out harmful behaviour, and model respect in every space you occupy. Understand that equality benefits everyone—we cannot have community without first establishing common unity. Being an ally means moving beyond words to meaningful action: listen to the experiences of women, educate yourself, support survivors, and advocate for systemic change. When men stand beside women and girls, we send a powerful message: violence is never acceptable, and respect is the foundation of real change.