Three year rolling funding is being made available to third sector equality and violence against women and girls organisations for the first time, providing security to vital services. All funding under the Scottish Government’s Equality Budget will move from one year to three years, providing vital reassurance to organisations that prevent violence against women and girls, as well as those who work to tackle hate crime and discrimination, increase representation and enhance community cohesion.
The Scottish Government is currently investing £20.3 million over 2016-17 through the Equality Budget to support a range of projects and initiatives. This includes £11.8 million investment over 2016-17 for a range of front line specialist services working with women and children who have experienced domestic abuse.
Equalities Secretary Angela Constance announced the move to three-year funding while visiting Women’s Aid Stirling, where she met with staff and volunteers. She said: “We are committed to tackling all forms of violence against women and girls, and to supporting the organisations that provide this vital support.
“I’m delighted to announce we will be moving to a three year funding programme, in particular for projects supporting women and girls affected by violence. This will provide greater clarity and reassurance for this sector, allowing them to plan for the longer term.
“These organisations do a huge amount of work in supporting those affected by violence against women and girls, and we want to enable them to plan and function as well as possible. Enabling and empowering women to leave violent situations requires long term work and planning, and so we know longer-term reassurance, and preventative action, is important to this sector in particular.”
Marsha Scott, Chair of Scottish Women’s Aid, said: “We are delighted to hear contracts funded from the Equality Budget will span 3 years. It is hard to overstate how important a more stable and efficient funding environment is to our Women’s Aid groups, our women’s sector partners who do such important work to address the causes of domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls, and to ourselves.
“Three-year contracts allow us all to spend more time on service provision, and investment in early intervention. Most important, perhaps, the government’s announcement sends the signal to other funders and to women and children experiencing domestic abuse that Women’s Aid services are stable and sustainable and Scotland’s eyes are on the prize of ending domestic abuse.”
Sandy Brindley, National Coordinator of Rape Crisis Scotland, said: “Equality organisations throughout Scotland play a vital role in protecting and promoting the human rights of different groups of people within Scottish society. Security of funding is crucial for organisations such as rape crisis centres.
“We are delighted to hear that a three year funding package is going to be made available. This will give organisations such as ours some security moving forward. Crucially, it means that we can dedicate more resources to our work supporting survivors of sexual violence, rather than filling out yearly application forms.”
Prime Minister Theresa May has announced plans to transform the way domestic violence and abuse is tackled. A major programme of work will be undertaken leading to the bringing forward a Domestic Violence and Abuse Act.
The Westminster government sees domestic violence and abuse as one of the most widespread and heinous offences, but one where victims are often let down by the legal system. Domestic violence and abuse shatters lives but the way it is currently dealt does not go far enough, with a plethora of different offences and procedures scattered across the statute book.
This lack of clarity has led to an ‘unacceptable’ diversity across the country in terms of the degree of effort put in to try and tackle it. Although the prosecution of, and convictions for, such offences have started to improve in recent years, there is inconsistency in the use and effectiveness of the various law enforcement measures across the country.
In recognition of this, the Prime Minister has announced plans for a major new programme of work leading towards bringing forward a Domestic Violence and Abuse Act.
The programme of work will look at what more can be done to improve support for victims especially in the way the law, and legal procedures, currently work for such victims. Experts in this area will be invited to contribute ideas and proposals for improving the way the system works which is likely to lead to legislation – making it much easier for law enforcement bodies to find and use more consistently the measures at their disposal. The Prime Minister will also ask for any potential ‘quick wins’ in the intervening period to be identified and acted upon. The Prime Minister will directly oversee this work, which will be truly cross-governmental – but co-ordinated by the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice.
Like the Modern Slavery Act, the Prime Minister believes that the measures that come out of this work will raise public awareness of the problem – as well as encourage victims to report their abusers and see them brought to justice.
Prime Minister Theresa May said: “Domestic violence and abuse is a life shattering and absolutely abhorrent crime; tackling it is a key priority for this government – and something I have always attached a personal importance to, both as Home Secretary and now as Prime Minister.
“I am clear that we need to build on the measures I introduced as Home Secretary – including the new offence of ‘Controlling and Coercive Behaviour’, Domestic Violence Protection Orders, and the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme – and ensure that no stone will be left unturned in delivering a system that increases convictions, and works better for victims.”
She added: “I believe that the plans I have announced today have the potential to completely transform the way we think about and tackle domestic violence and abuse. There are thousands of people who are suffering at the hands of abusers – often isolated, and unaware of the options and support available to them to end it. Given the central importance of victim evidence to support prosecutions in this area, raising public awareness – as well as consolidating the law – will prove crucial.”
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