@InnesBurns on X: “This month I’ll be hosting a meeting between myself, White Ribbon Scotland, and the media teams of both Hibs and Hearts. Why? I’m launching a bid for Edinburgh football to become industry-leaders in supporting charities that involve men in ending violence against women. Football clubs are the cornerstone of communities right across Scotland and institutions of this kind have a duty to promote a truly fair and equitable society for all. By supporting these charities, they’ll be telling everyone in that community that it’s safe to come together and rejoice in the thing we all love. Football means so much to us all. Capturing this emotion and using it as a force for good would send shockwaves into wider society. For the better. Not your problem, you say? If we were to take sexual misconduct as an example of violence against women - 94% of 18-24 year olds have been sexually harassed by a member of the public in the UK. That’s your mum, sister, girlfriend, female relative or close companion that you care about. It is your problem. If women could’ve ended this already, they would’ve done. That’s why men need to step up, get round the table and have frank discussions about how they can make the world a safer place. For the benefit of us all. This project isn’t about pointing fingers, shaming people and dividing society. We’ve all done or said stuff we regret. It’s about encouraging men to make meaningful decisions, from here on, that will help so many people they care about. And we’ll all make mistakes along the way. Nobody’s perfect… but showing that will to make a difference, taking ownership of the things you say and show a real appetite to make a change from here on - this will contribute to a genuine shift in attitudes right across society. This is the ripple effect of respect we’re after. Take you and your mates on a journey. A journey of self-discovery, personal growth and heightened emotional intelligence. Talk about your feelings. Encourage your pal to do better, without the stigma. Every day is a new opportunity to become a better version of yourself.
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