Blue Jackie: General Debate 
Blue Jackie: General Debate 
[Volume:669;Page:15747] 
Dr JACKIE BLUE (National) 
: 
 Tomorrow is 25 November a day referred to as White Ribbon Day to mark the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Many MPs are wearing the white ribbon today as a personal pledge to always speak out against violence towards women and children. 
The story of the white ribbon has its origins in Canada where in 1991 a group of Canadian men began a campaign to urge men to speak out against violence against women. The White Ribbon campaign was a direct result of a massacre of 14 women by a lone gunman in Montreal Canada 2 years previously. The white ribbon gathered momentum in Canada and in 1999 the United Nations General Assembly declared 25 November the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. 
The white ribbon has become a symbol for that day but there is much more to the story of the origins of 25 November a story that is not well known in New Zealand. It is a story of the Mirabal sisters—Minerva Patria and Teresa—who were citizens of the Dominican Republic. Their story which is over 50 years old needs to be told. The three sisters and their husbands opposed the dictatorship of the day. Minerva became particularly passionate about ending the dictatorship and with her sisters formed a group of opponents to the regime known as the 14th of June Movement. Within that group they were known as “The Butterflies” because that was the underground name that Minerva was given. Two of the sisters Minerva and Teresa were incarcerated and tortured on several occasions. While in prison they were repeatedly raped. The sisters however persisted in speaking out to end the dictatorship. 
On 25 November 1960 when the three sisters were returning from visiting their husbands who were imprisoned at the time their car was stopped. The unarmed sisters were beaten to death and their car was pushed over the side of a mountain to make it look like an accident. After the death of her sisters the surviving sister Dedé became active in politics fighting for the rights of and the elimination of violence against women and fighting to further democracy in the Dominican Republic. She brought up her sisters’ children and founded a museum and library in the home where the three sisters had been living at the time of their deaths. She was determined that their memory live on. 
On 17 December 1999 the United Nations designated 25 November the anniversary of the murder of the Mirabal sisters as the annual date for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The date of 25 November is in commemoration of the Mirabal sisters: Minerva Patria and Teresa. The day of course has become well known as White Ribbon Day and marks the beginning of 16 days of activism against gender violence. I pay tribute to the three women—Minerva Patria and Teresa—who because of their activism experienced violence while they were alive and ultimately violent deaths. 
I heard about these three sisters when I attended a women’s empowerment conference recently in Istanbul and I met Minerva’s daughter who is a member of Parliament in the Dominican Republic. I was very moved by the story and I returned to New Zealand determined that these three sisters and the part they played in 25 November be acknowledged. 
Tomorrow New Zealanders from all sections of society will unite against violence in New Zealand. Today I acknowledge also the many cross-party groups in Parliament where MPs join together in a non-partisan way to work together for a common cause. The newly formed cross-party Commonwealth Women’s Parliamentarians is one such group. I am co-chair of this group along with Carmel Sepuloni. I know that all members of our group stand with me in acknowledgment of the Mirabal sisters and in utter condemnation of violence of any form against women and children. 
Family violence in New Zealand is far too common with one in three women reporting being abused by a partner in their lifetime. That is totally unacceptable. Family violence is not limited to any one gender religion culture or income group. I pay tribute to the many individuals and organisations who work in this area. I add that I absolutely support the Violence Intervention Programme operating in our district health boards where females presenting to hospitals are questioned about family violence. The fact is that many many women are just waiting to be asked.