Allegations of violence and abuse by former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi.

Sexual harassment allegations on Parliament Hill.

The murder of Tina Fontaine and attack on Rinelle Harper in Winnipeg.

The sentencing of a young man in Halifax who circulated a photo of a girl at a party being sexually assaulted.

The ongoing push for an inquiry into the country’s hundreds of missing and murdered indigenous women.

Violence against women has repeatedly made headlines in Canada in recent weeks, prompting much-needed discussions about rape culture, consent, reporting sexual assault and victim-blaming.

As White Ribbon Yukon gears up for its annual campaign to end violence against women, its members agree that these are discussions that should happen locally, too.

National stories like the allegations against Ghomeshi should prompt us to localize the issue and look at the violence that exists in our community, says Mark Rutledge, one of the organization’s board members.

“It does happen, and I think this just leads to a discussion, an opening-up of the issue,” he said in an interview Thursday.

“And discussion is a good thing. It’s not this hidden-under-the-carpet kind of deal anymore. I think open, frank discussion can be part of the healing process.”

Steve Roddick, the organization’s co-founder, said one of the things he’s taken away from the still-unfolding Ghomeshi story relates to the fact that people had heard rumours about the former Q host being sexually inappropriate with women years prior to the explosive allegations made this fall.

“I wonder how many people in Whitehorse or in the Yukon know people that engage in violent or predatory behaviour,” says Roddick.

“They don’t know how to address it or what to say about it, but they’ve seen that kind of behaviour in their friend groups or in different situations.

“I think this is a really good opportunity to bring this out in the open and say, ‘This is something we need to talk about and it’s not appropriate.’ As men, we have a responsibility to talk to other men about that.”

White Ribbon Yukon works with men and boys to end violence against women – because men are perpetrators, the responsibility lies with men to stop.

During the annual White Ribbon Campaign from Nov. 25 to Dec. 6, men are encouraged to wear a white ribbon and sign a pledge to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women.

It runs parallel to the 12 Days to End Violence Against Women campaign, organized by the Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre and Les EssentiElles, a local non-profit that advocates on behalf of French-speaking women.

From 2 to 4 p.m. tomorrow, White Ribbon Yukon will hold a meet-and-greet at the Whitehorse Public Library for people who would like to volunteer with the campaign.

Patrick Thompson joined White Ribbon Yukon this year. He’s the program co-ordinator at Les EssentiElles.

“Being visible is a really big thing,” he says of how men can support women.

“Going to these different events and being there and having people see your support is huge. Being an ear to listen to. Being non-judgmental. All those kinds of qualities.”

While studying criminology, Thompson learned that men dominate convictions for most types of crime. But his studies didn’t explore why that was.

“So that led me to get into gender studies and start learning about masculinity and some of the reasons why men are so over-represented in the criminal justice system,” he says.

Now, in his work with Les EssentiElles, Thompson talks to boys and men about violence against women.

Educating younger generations is key to changing men’s sexist attitudes, says Rutledge.

“I think that’s where it starts. It starts in the schools and it starts at a young age. I think, as men, we have to be those role models for the youth, that this is not the way we do things. You have to treat everyone with respect.”

This is what Rutledge teaches his two sons.

“Being of aboriginal descent, I’ve seen a lot of violence in my lifetime, and I wanted to see if I could do something that would educate and maybe even – this is grandiose – put a stop to it somehow,” he says, when asked why he got involved with White Ribbon Yukon.

“Sadly, there’s not a lot of (aboriginal) families that are whole, with the male and female figures in the family. So, we talk about aboriginal boys, there may not be a male role model. I came aboard also in order to help them as well.”

Rutledge, Thompson and Roddick agree that conversation about violence against women is key to educating men and changing ingrained behaviours and mindsets.

“I know when I’ve spoken to people who are fresh to the issue, it ends with jaws dropping,” Thompson says.

“There’s just no idea about the extent of sexualized assaults and the extent of domestic abuse, what sexualized assault looks like, what domestic assault looks like. It’s fairly eye-opening for them. It’s really good to be able to keep these conversations going because there’s just so many people who still don’t know.”

The response to a video that went viral online recently affirms what Thompson says.

A woman spent 10 hours walking around New York City, with a hidden camera carried in a friend’s backpack recording dozens of incidents of street harassment – men catcalling her and following her.

On social media, many men expressed surprise that this is something women have to put up with on a regular basis.

Some of the points listed on a White Ribbon Yukon information sheet about how men can show respect for women pertain to street harassment:

“Be mindful of situations where women might feel anxious or unsafe. On deserted streets, especially at night, or in enclosed spaces, keep your distance from women you don’t know.”

“Be attuned to verbal and non-verbal cues when it comes to approaching women and to physical contact with a partner or on a date. If you’re unsure, ask.”

Others involve discussing sexism with male peers:

“Call out friends whose idea of a ‘joke’ is to make sexist remarks.”

“Talk to your male friends about how to be masculine without being misogynist.”

“Use what social capital you have to speak out against misogyny whenever you see it.”

While not all men commit violence against women, it’s not enough to sit quietly by, White Ribbon Yukon maintains.

Men can make the pledge in-person with White Ribbon volunteers throughout the campaign or online: whiteribbonyukon.com/pledge. 

The 2014 campaign will kick off at noon Nov. 25, at Yukon College.