Birmingham men speak up in powerful new portrait series unveiled to mark White Ribbon Day

Sal Nasseem, 49, and Luke Deeley, 47, travelled to Milton Keynes to join other White Ribbon UK Ambassadors, councilors, including the leader or Milton Keynes council, the White Ribbon UK team and award-winning photographer Claudia Janke for the official launch of the exhibition, which sees men from across the UK use their voices to help end men’s violence against women and girls.

Part of a creative collaboration between charity White Ribbon UK and Claudia Janke, the portraits, which are sponsored by London Northwestern and West Midlands Railway form part of the charity’s We Speak Up campaign. The project highlights the critical role men play in ending violence, with statistics revealing that 1 in 4 women will be the victim of sexual assault or attempted assault in their lifetime*.

Sal, who is a former Director of the Independent Office for Police Conduct and Luke, who works as Head of Facilities Management for the Police & Crime Commissioner of West Mercia are two of 16 White Ribbon Ambassadors featured in the nationwide campaign.

Both were on site for the exhibition launch to stand alongside his portrait and speak with the public and those in attendance about the importance of speaking up in their everyday lives to challenge misogyny, harassment and harmful gender stereotypes.

The portraits, which are now on public display in Milton Keynes, mark a visual celebration of allyship for White Ribbon Day (25th November) and the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Each is accompanied by a short video in which the men share their motivation for speaking up.

Speaking about his involvement in the project, Sal said: “I speak up because I don't see enough men like me speaking out. There are too few men who understand the realities women face, like not feeling safe walking home or enduring harassment in public. I was once oblivious to these issues, but when I took a closer look at myself and spoke with the women in my life – my wife, my daughter and others – it opened my eyes. It was a wake-up call and since then, I’ve been committed to playing my part in creating change."

Luke added: “I find it remarkable that there’s a need for an organisation like White Ribbon in the first place. The issue of violence against women and girls – I find it an abhorrent situation that we need a charity to remind people that it needs fixing,” before he went on to say he was motivated to set a good example to his three children.

Together, the portraits showcase a diverse group of men who share one message – that supporting women and girls is about awareness and accountability but also speaking up.

Claudia, the London-based artist who created the portrait series has spent more than two decades documenting human rights and women’s equality movements worldwide. She attended the launch event to introduce her work, which uses a traditional instant box camera – a process built on patience and connection between photographer and sitter.

Speaking at the launch, Claudia said: “After two decades working on projects highlighting violence against women and girls, I created this project to call men in as allies. Through this work, I finally met men willing to step up, who understood that it starts with them and that it is their responsibility to be part of the change. Hearing their motivations and seeing their commitment was moving and powerful.”

Also in attendance at the event, Lynne Elliot, Chief Executive of White Ribbon UK, said: “It’s brilliant to see men speaking up in their role as White Ribbon UK ambassadors. We’re seeing more men from all backgrounds using their voices to stand up for women and girls in everyday situations, and our ambassadors help make speaking up the norm. This is so important in challenging and changing the culture that enables violence against women and girls. Every time someone stays silent, it’s a missed opportunity to stand up for what’s right.”

Supported by London Northwestern Railway, the We Speak Up portraits will be on display at centre:mk shopping centre in Milton Keynes until 10th December 2025 to coincide with the UN’s 16 Days of Activism.

All portraits and accompanying videos are available to view online at https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/wespeakup and across White Ribbon UK’s social media channels, with a different ambassador being revealed each day.

A short film introducing the campaign can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjk3FRAmpIE

*According to statistics reported by the National Audit Office in 2025.