Event：Dr. Michael Kaufman, Co-Founder, The White Ribbon Campaign and Dr. Fang Gang, Director, China White Ribbon Volunteers Network (CWRVN).

Dr. Michael Kaufman is a Canadian writer,consultant, and speaker focused on innovative approaches to promote gender equality and positive ideals ofmanhood. He is the Co-founder of the White Ribbon Campaign, the largest effortin the world of men working to end violence against women.

Dr. Fang Gang is an academic expert onsexuality and gender studies, who has published more than 50 works. He is Director of the China White Ribbon VolunteersNetwork (CWRVN) and a member of the United Nations Secretary General’s Networkof Men Leaders under UNITE to end Violence against Women.

October 28, 2015-The discussion was held in Embassy ofCanada, 19 Dongzhimenwai Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing. The theme of thisdiscussion is “Towards a Future with No Violence Against Women: Engaging Menand Boys in China, Canada, and Around the Globe”.

At the first stage, Mr. ZHAO pu, Canadianambassador to China, gave a short speech about what the role do men and boysplay in ending violence against women, and he made a comment about China’s Lawon Family Violence, he thought that government organizations andnon-governmental organizations should cooperate to stop the violence againstwomen. Then Mr. Arie Hoekman, Representative to China, United NationsPopulation Fund (UNFPA), gave a speech about how to advance gender equalitythrough non-violence measures. After that it was Dr. Michael Kaufman’s time, hehighlighted the ponderance of domestic violence and the history of the WhiteRibbon Campaign, he also introduced the current situation of the White RibbonCampaign. Dr. FANG Gang made a detailed introduction about the developmentcondition of the White Ribbon Campaign in China.

The next stage is a discussion between Dr.Michael Kaufman and Dr. FANG Gang. In this stage two Doctors made a in-depthconversation about specific issues in the White Ribbon Campaign, they alsoshared some ideas about how to boom the campaign.

In the process of question, the participants asked questions on their own confusion. The main problems include, the numbers ofChina White Ribbon Volunteers, the propaganda of White Ribbon Campaign, thePsychological counseling for Victims of domestic violence from the China White Ribbon Volunteers. Professor FANG made a reasonable explanation for specificissues. What’s more, Professor Fang focused on answering the problem about theadolescent education in White Ribbon Campaign.

Among the process, JIN Shijing, the Ph.Dstudent from China University of Political Science and Law, raising thequestion about the information exchange between the White Ribbon Organizationand the existing Women's Rights Organizations in China, Professor FANG said,exchange of information is not very satisfied, what’s more, there are a lot ofproblems and resistance in the process of information exchange. However, in thefuture, the exchange of information will be more smooth.

At the end of the conversation, ProfessorFANG said the White Ribbon Campaign in China is developing rapidly, with more strong supports. But there is still a problem about the shortage of money.However, in the near future, hopefully these problems could be solved. Furthermore,FANG Gang on behalf of the White Ribbon Campaign  gave the Canadian Prime Minister a T-shirt as a present.

Written by Sunzhen