White ribbons are being worn across the country today in an effort to end men's violence against women.

Events with white ribbon riders on motorbikes, public speeches, and fundraising stalls are all marking the international day.

Christchurch's Aviva service supports victims of family violence.

Spokesperson Julie McCloy says there are small things we can do to remove the taboo around the issue.

"Even on a day to day level, the language we use. In Aviva we don't talk about victims and perpetrators, we talk about people, people who have experienced violence, people who have used it."

Julie McCloy says recent pilot programmes are taking a very thorough approach to cases.

"Before it was just coming to Police and they'd just be passed on to family violence agencies, now the responsibility for handling that is going out to a much wider group."

"We make people safe in their own homes - that's a different way to doing it to before, which was always just encouraging people to leave their home."

In Auckland, White Ribbon New Zealand has removed its endorsement for Destiny Church's anti-violence rally on Queen Street.

Concerns were raised about homophobic overtones.