Improving support for diverse communities
Next steps to address violence against women and girls, including measures to combat culturally specific forms of violence, have been unveiled.
The latest Equally Safe Delivery Plan – developed in partnership with COSLA – focuses on prevention of abuse across Scotland’s diverse communities. For the first time, this includes taking forward a specific approach to tackle honour-based abuse.
Recognising the higher risk of abuse that women and girls with learning disabilities face, it will also ensure that relevant educational settings are equipped to teach pupils about healthy relationships and improve access to support services.
Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “Violence against women and girls is abhorrent and has no place in modern Scotland. Since 2021, frontline projects backed by our Delivering Equally Safe Fund have supported nearly 60,000 adults, children and young people, and we are determined to build on that progress.
“This plan sets out our sustained focus on prevention, improving support services and ensuring the justice response is robust.
“Gendered abuse can happen in any community and to ensure that it is tackled effectively and equitably for all women, we are strengthening our response to the diverse ways that violence and abuse can occur.
“That includes recognising that abusers could be extended family members rather than partners – like in some cases of honour-based violence – and ensuring tailored support is provided for vulnerable groups, including women with learning disabilities and migrants.”
COSLA ‘s Community Wellbeing Spokesperson Councillor Maureen Chalmers said: “This Delivery Plan is a road map underpinning the next phase of COSLA’s and the Scottish Government’s shared journey towards an Equally Safe Scotland for women and girls.
“We will work collaboratively over the next two years with key specialist and public sector partners, to achieve the delivery of these commitments through our collective energies. No one government, sector or service can prevent and tackle violence against women and girls alone.”
The plan was launched with a visit from Ms Stewart and Ms Chalmers to Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis Centre.
Director of the centre, Claudia Macdonald-Bruce said: “Every day, we see the impact that an experience of rape and sexual abuse has on women and girls. It is life-changing, life-altering and sometimes life-ending. No women or girl should have to wait for our help when they ask for it.
“I hope that today’s opportunity to see in action how our trauma-informed, survivor voice and data-led approaches to the provision and development of our specialist services for women and girls, is welcomed too as future decisions continue to be made.”
The Equally Safe Delivery Plan is available to view online.
