Man up, P.E.I.! Campaign launches to end violence against women

A new P.E.I. campaign is urging men to take a pledge and take action to end violence against women on the Island.

Man Up encourages men to talk about the issue, and intervene when they see actions or hear language that degrades women.

"It's good to get people at a younger age, and people to say,'Hey, you know what, I want to value the relationships I'm in and treat people and women in a better way,'" said Gord McNeilly, one of the people behind the campaign.

"Most people do that, but there's things that we don't see, so we want to eradicate violence against women on Prince Edward Island."

He said the group's vision is for a masculinity that embodies the best qualities of being human.

The group's web site suggests a number of concrete steps men can take:

• Take the online pledge to never commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women.
• Wear a purple ribbon.
• Submit a link to your own best advice story.
• Download a web bannerand include it on your blog or Facebook page.
• Challenge sexist language and jokes that degrade women.
• Learn about consent and promote healthy sexualitywith the young men in your life.
• Talk about this issue with family, friends and colleagues.

McNeilly said he hopes to carry the campaign on year round, and that it will grow in the future.

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