FOR many men, challenging a mate when he talks about women in a demeaning or abusive way is not easy.
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But it needed to be done as a first step to address a culture that could sometimes accept violence against women, according to Dubbo man Jethro Geier.
Mr Geier described himself as one of five "everyday Dubbo blokes" who appear on a new poster launched yesterday aimed at tackling violence against women.
The poster, created by the Dubbo Domestic Violence Prevention Collective, was launched at a community barbecue attended by police, council representatives, anti-domestic violence advocates and members of the community to coincide with White Ribbon Day.
Mr Geier said often it was women who took the lead and said enough was enough, but it was time more men showed their support to eliminate violence against women.
"If we say nothing, isn't our silence an approval of what's been said?" Mr Geier told the assembled crowd.
He said men were taught 'boys don't cry', to hide their vulnerabilities and to always be in control.
"When guys go through a rough patch and relationships break down they can start to feel like they're losing control, and some men employ violence as a trump card to try to get back the control they think they've lost," Mr Geier said.
When blokes hung out, he said, they often kept the conversational tone light and they felt uncomfortable pulling up a friend for saying something wrong, Mr Geier said.
"But if people are talking about women in a degrading way, they think about them that way and will have no reason not to treat them that way," he said.
"It's this culture of acceptance around sexism that makes it socially acceptable for guys to behave like that, promoting more violence."
NSW Police Western Region Commander Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie said White Ribbon Day was about making the community aware of the big impact domestic violence had not only in Dubbo but everywhere. A major concern, he said, was how many domestic violence incidents went unreported.
"If you suspect a friend, neighbour or relative is subject to domestic violence you need to report it," he said. "The fact that one person a week dies as a result of this kind of 'intimate' offences should be enough incentive for people to take steps to help anyone they suspect is being victimised."
Meanwhile Mr Geier had a message for other blokes.
"Challenge your mates when they objectify women and talk about them like a piece of meat," he said.
"This has gone on too long. Talk to your mates about it. If you or a mate is going through a tough time, seek help - you can call Mensline or visit the White Ribbon Website. There is a brilliant online training program and I've become a white ribbon advocate through that."