Ken Marchingo, the chief executive officer of Haven; Home Safe and a White Ribbon ambassador of several years, resigned after the organisation withdrew a position statement saying it believed in women’s rights to have “complete control over their reproductive and sexual health”, including access to abortion.

White Ribbon chief executive officer Tracy McLeod Howe later republished the statement online after national outcry.

In a media statement, the organisation said it would maintain its position on reproductive rights, and an attempt to remedy a lack of consultation around the original statement was misconstrued as a change in stance.

The statement said White Ribbon would “consider their position on women’s reproductive rights once a thorough consultation process with the movement’s members has been conducted”.

But Mr Marchingo said “human rights are never negotiable” and should not be subject to “polling”.

He said he saw no reason to change his position on his resignation.

“I believed that White Ribbon is based on a human rights principle of ending violence against women and girls, that people who agreed with the principle agreed to stand for,” Mr Marchingo said.

“People who are prepared to stand up for something are often the very same who will be clear about what they will not stand for.

“As a result I understand that a number of ambassadors and members are making that clear to them now all over the country.”

Julie Oberin, chief executive officer of women’s refuge Annie North, said while it was good the position statement was again on the organisation’s website, it seemed there was not enough education within White Ribbon for its staff and volunteers to understand the links between women’s rights, gender equality and violence against women.

Ms Oberin said the organisation needed to work on ensuring all those involved in it understood the drivers of gender-based violence.

“One of them is men’s control of decision-making and limits to women’s independence which requires instead the promotion of women’s independence and decision-making,” she said.

Centre for Non-Violence chief executive officer Margaret Augerinos said evidence showed there were strong links between women’s reproductive and sexual health rights, and violence against women.

Ms Augerinos said there were reports to the centre of women being prevented from accessing contraception by partners, and women subject to rape who fell pregnant but were not allowed to choose whether they did or did not continue the pregnancy.

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