White Ribbon releases I Knew All Along, addressing the anxieties of raising a daughter

White Ribbon is launching a new campaign, I Knew All Along, capturing a father’s anxieties around raising a daughter told through a reflection of how he has interacted with girls and women in the past. Directed by TIFF 2022 People’s Choice Award winner Hubert Davis, the public service announcement encourages men to act now, regardless of whether they have daughters or not, to be role models of gender equity and help create a violence and discrimination-free world.

“Displays of harmful gender norms and stereotypes are so ingrained within our culture that it often takes personal experience, such as having a daughter, for many men to recognize these unhealthy behaviours,” says Humberto Carolo, White Ribbon Executive Director. “I Knew All Along sheds light on the gender-based aggressions that men may have engaged in, whether verbal or behavioural, intentional, or unintentional, and reveals why they should not be ignored or minimized.”

A 2022 study commissioned by White Ribbon explores the concerns parents may experience after having a daughter. Three-quarters of moms of daughters (75%) and two-thirds of dads of daughters (66%) disclosed that having a daughter made them more concerned about the challenges that women often face in society. Further, 70% of those who don’t have a daughter believe that if they had one, it would make them more aware or concerned about the challenges women face.

“Film has the power to present complex social issues in a way that is both compelling and universal,” says director Hubert Davis. “To make an emotional impact, it was important for us to highlight a profound personal experience – like becoming a new parent. While not everyone may be a parent, many understand what it feels like to want to protect a loved one.”

Displays of unhealthy masculinities such as violence, misogyny and discrimination are learned behaviours and not something men and boys are inherently born with. Our mission with I Knew All Along is to highlight the experiences many people in our communities face and encourage male-identified individuals to become more conscious of and accountable for their actions.

“As a new father to my first daughter, I want to do everything I can to build a healthy relationship with her and be a positive role model where she can learn and experience respect,” says Taylor Demetrioff, White Ribbon Bilingual Community Engagement Manager. “It’s important to help my daughter grow up seeing her father being vulnerable and connecting with her emotionally so that she has a healthier sense of masculinity, security and respected boundaries.”

White Ribbon has always focused on highlighting the systemic and societal issues that lead to gender-based violence. Its mission is to help men and boys understand the reality and dimension of this issue so they can become allies, challenge harmful behaviours, and make real change.

To access the video PSA, high-res photography, and additional survey findings, please visit: here

To book an interview with any of our following spokespeople or for more information about I Knew All Along, please contact:

Samantha Sartor
samantha.sartor@narrative.ca
647.409.8466

Spokespeople available for interviews include:

• Humberto Carolo, Executive Director, White Ribbon
• Hubert Davis, PSA Film Director
• New fathers, Canadian-based and members of the White Ribbon community

About White Ribbon:

Now in its 31st year, White Ribbon is the world’s largest movement of men and boys working to end violence against women and girls, and promote gender equity, healthy relationships and a new vision of masculinities. It was founded in 1991, in response to the murder of 14 women engineering students at Polytechnique Montréal in 1989. Since then, and among its many calls to action, White Ribbon asks men to wear white ribbons as a pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and girls.

Maru/Blue is a leading full-service market research firm. These are some of the findings from a study released by Maru Public Opinion undertaken by its sample and data collection experts at Maru/Blue November 11-14, 2022, among a random selection of 1,506 Canadian adults (839 women and 667 men) who are Maru Voice Canada panellists.

The results were weighted by education, age, gender, and region (and in Quebec, language) to match the population, according to Census data. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of ±3.4%, 19 times out of 20 when looking at the women’s results and ±3.8%, 19 times out of 20 when looking at the men’s results. Respondents could respond in either English or French.