Butterflies symbols of anti-violence campaign

Kate Long (left) gives herself over to Yolanda Bartram's painting to mark White Ribbon Day. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Model Kate Long stripped down to a mini-skirt, tied her hair up in Japanese style and allowed artist Yolanda Bartram to paint butterflies on her torso.

Then staff at Butterfly Creek, the outdoor education centre at Auckland Airport best known for its crocodiles, tipped a bucket of large, exotic butterflies all over her.

It was all in aid of an Amnesty International campaign to get the Japanese Government to apologise to a dying band of women from Korea, the Philippines and other Asian countries, now in their 80s and 90s, who were among 200,000 women forced into sexual slavery as "comfort women" for Japanese soldiers in World War II.

"Butterflies are the symbol of hope for 'comfort women', and this body art seeks to highlight that all victims of violence deserve justice, no matter how long the wait," said Amnesty's Margaret Taylor.

"Like many survivors of abuse, 'comfort women' were silent for long years about what abuse they had suffered. White Ribbon Day is about breaking the silence, speaking out and saying, 'It's not okay."'

Ms Taylor wanted the New Zealand and Australian Governments to ask new Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to apologise and pay compensation to the surviving "comfort women". If the butterfly stunt was bizarre, she said, "it's more bizarre that the Japanese Government has yet to adequately apologise for the largest sexual trafficking event of all time".

Other events for White Ribbon Day this year include four motorbike rides through the North Island starting from Wellington today and converging at Auckland's ASB Showgrounds at 11am on Friday.

A Waitakere march starts at 11.15am today at Mount Lebanon Lane in Henderson, ending with lunchtime entertainment in Falls Park.

Six Warriors rugby league players will help police officers hand out white ribbons in Auckland's Vulcan Lane, at St Lukes mall and in Onehunga this afternoon.

Street performers, stalls and a classic car parade will be among the entertainment at a lunchtime White Ribbon Day festival in Hamilton's Civic Plaza, and music and speeches are promised for Rotorua's City Focus from 10am to 2pm.

ON THE WEB: whiteribbon.org.nz

WHITE RIBBON DAY

When: Today. Started in Canada after 14 women killed by a gunman in 1990.

What: Men wear white ribbons to show they don't condone violence against women.

Why: On average 14 NZ women are killed by their partners or ex-partners each year. One woman in five experiences sexual assault or interference in her lifetime.

How: 550,000 ribbons made by prisoners at Rimutaka Prison are being distributed free by community groups.It had to be one of the most bizarre ways to commemorate White Ribbon Day.