Highland Violence Against Women Partnership urges communities to stand against gender-based violence
Highland Violence Against Women Partnership, along with other organisations across the Highlands and Islands, are urging communities to take a stand against gender-based violence during the 16 Days of Activism (25 November – 10 December).
The campaign group, which includes 13 organisations who work together under the umbrella of the Highland Violence Against Women Partnership (HVAWP), are calling on the public to take a pledge and share what they will do to help end violence against women and girls using the #WhatWillYouDo hashtag on social media.
Today (25 November 2021), the Ness Bridge will be lit-up in orange, the colour of the global 16 Days of Activism, to launch the campaign and shine a light on the often-hidden issue. Other light-up events will be taking place throughout Scotland, including at St. Magnus Cathedral in Orkney.
This is the second year that these organisations have come together to jointly campaign for 16 Days. Last year, the group aimed to show the impact of gender-based violence in our rural communities and asked people to share what they would like to see change. This year, the group are calling for people to be part of creating the change.
“Violence against women and girls is absolutely everyone’s business. We believe that everyone has a role to play - whether it's challenging harmful behaviours and attitudes, supporting survivors, or holding perpetrators to account”, says James Maybee, Principal Officer for Criminal Justice Services for Highland Council and Depute Chair of the Highland Violence Against Women Partnership.
“We are therefore asking for people to declare what they will do to help end violence against women and girls by sharing their #WhatWillYouDo message on social media and encouraging others to do the same.”
In Scotland, at least four out of five incidents of domestic abuse recorded by Police Scotland have a female victim and a male accused. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by domestic abuse, sexual violence, and other forms of violence.
Yet, violence against women has too often been regarded as a problem for women to solve. Prevention messages that focus on women’s behaviour are not only ineffective, but contribute to harmful beliefs that victims are somehow to blame for what happens to them.
Mr Maybee adds that, “Men can make a difference by changing the way they talk about women and talk to women. The recent ‘Don’t Be That Guy’ campaign provides a powerful message for men to look at their own actions and how they can hold each other to account and prevent abuse.”
It is estimated that domestic abuse costs the Scottish public purse £2.3 billion and VAWG costs Scotland £4 billion. Gender-based violence can also have devastating and life-long impacts on survivors and their families.
Additional information:
The police recorded 62,907 incidents of domestic abuse in 2019-20, an increase of 4% compared to the previous year. This is the fourth year in a row this figure has shown an increase. In 2019-20, 40% of incidents of domestic abuse recorded by the police in Scotland included the recording of at least one crime or offence.
The type of crime or offence that was most frequently recorded as part of a domestic abuse incident in 2019-20 was Common assault, accounting for 34% of all crimes and offences recorded. This was followed by Breach of the peace etc. accounting for 26% of crimes and offences.
Following its enactment on the 1 April 2019, crimes recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 accounted for 4% of crimes and offences recorded as part of a domestic abuse incident in 2019-20.
Where gender information was recorded, around four-in-five (82%) incidents of domestic abuse in 2019-20 involved a female victim and a male accused. This was the same as in 2018-19.
In 2019-20, 15% of domestic abuse incidents involved a male victim and a female accused (where gender information was recorded). This decreased slightly from 16% in 2018-19.
In 2019-20, the 26 to 30 years old age group had the highest incident rate for victims (272 incidents recorded per 10,000 population). The 31 to 35 years old age group had the highest incident rate for the accused (257 incidents recorded per 10,000 population).
Recorded incidents of domestic abuse were higher on a Saturday or Sunday than on any other day of the week, with these two days together accounting for 34% of incidents in 2019-20.
In 2019-20, around nine-in-ten (88%) of all domestic abuse incidents occurred in a home or dwelling.
Elaine Fetherston, Manager, Inverness Women’s Aid, said: “As frontline Third Sector organisations, we see the impact of violence and abuse on women, children and young people every day. This campaign gives us all the chance to make this headline news – violence against women has become normalised and this has to be challenged now.”
Women’s Aid have offices across the Highlands and Islands, providing support clients by phone, text, email, and social media, and continue to accept new referrals from women, children, young people, and partner agencies.
Rape Crisis Centres are also available to provide emotional support and practical information to anyone over the age of 13 who has experienced sexual violence. Services are confidential and provide a safe space for survivors.
Chief Superintendent Conrad Trickett, Divisional Commander, Highland and Islands division, Police Scotland said “Woman and girls should be able to go about their daily lives without fear or the threat of violence. As Divisional Commander and #HeForShe lead for Police Scotland, I pledge my full support to the 16 days of activism campaign. We do not and will not tolerate violence against woman and girls within our communities. We will continue to conduct robust, victim-centred, perpetrator-focused investigations into reports of this type of offending and along with our partners will ensure victims are supported. However, it is up to all us, men especially, to challenge male attitudes, to not be That Guy and to end violence against women and girls”.
Highland Council’s Executive Chief Officer for Health, Social Care and Wellbeing, Fiona Duncan, said: “Violence against women is a human rights issue and is one of the most prevalent human rights abuses across the world.”
She added: “We need Collective Leadership to take action and the Highland Violence Against Women Partnership plays a key role in providing that leadership. We would encourage people to speak up and tell the world about your pledge by posting your own #WhatWillYouDo message on social media.”
For more information, details of the campaign partners, and to download a #WhatWillYouDo placard, go to www.changeherstory.co.uk
About HVAWP
HVAWP is a group of services who work together to prevent all forms of violence against women, identify those affected, and provide services and support for safety and wellbeing. Importantly, the partnership also works together to challenge and hold perpetrators to account for their behaviour.
The partnership includes: NHS Highland, Police Scotland, the Highland Council, Women’s Aid Groups, the Rape & Sexual Abuse Service Highland (RASASH), Scottish Prison Service, Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, Victim Support, Action For Children, University of the Highlands & Islands and High Life Highland.
Domestic abuse recorded by the police in Scotland, 2019-20
- 62,907 incidents of domestic abuse were recorded by the police in 2019-20
- 115 incidents of domestic abuse were recorded by the police in Scotland per 10,000 population in 2019-20.
- Who were the victims? In 2019-20, more than 4 out of 5 (83%) victims of domestic abuse were female
- What was the gender of the victims and accused? 82% of incidents involved a female victim and a male accused. 15% of incidents involved a male victim and a female accused. In the remaining 3% of cases, the victim and accused were the same gender
- Where did the incident occur? 88% of domestic abuse incidents occurred in a home or dwelling. 39% of domestic abuse incidents occurred in the victim’s home
- When did incidents occur? 34% of domestic abuse incidents occurred at the weekend, 14% on Mondays and Fridays, 13% on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 17% on Saturdays and Sundays
Inverness Women’s Aid
Telephone: 01463 220719
Email: info@invernesswa.co.uk
Facebook page (Inverness Women’s Aid)
Website www.invernesswa.org (external link)
Ross-Shire, Skye & Lochalsh Women’s Aid
Telephone: 01349 863568
Email: info@rosswa.co.uk
Facebook page (Ross-shire Skye & Lochalsh Women’s Aid)
Website: www.rosswa.co.uk (external link)
Lochaber Women’s Aid
Telephone: 01397 705734
Email: lwa@lochaberwomensaid.org
Facebook page (Lochaber Women’s Aid)
Website: www.lochaberwomensaid.org (external link)
Caithness & Sutherland Women’s Aid
Telephone: 0345 408 0151
Email: info@caswa.org.uk
Facebook page (CASWA)
Website: www.caswa.org.uk (external link)
Women’s Aid Orkney
Telephone: 01856 877900
Email: info@womensaidorkney.org.uk
Website: www.womensaidorkney.org.uk (external link)
Rape and Sexual Abuse Service Highland (RASASH)
Telephone: 03330 066 909
Email: support@rasash.org.uk
Text: 07451 288 080
Website: www.rasash.org.uk (external link)
Orkney Rape & Sexual Abuse Service (ORSAS)
Telephone: 01856 872298
Email: contact@orsas.scot
Website: www.orsas.scot (external link)
Additional advice and information is also available from Scotland’s 24 hour Domestic Abuse and
Forced Marriage Helpline on 0800 027 1234 - www.womensaid.scot/contact/#helpline
Specialist advice about legal issues and rights is available from the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre on 08088 010 789 - www.scottishwomensrightscentre.org.uk
You can also contact Police Scotland on 101 for non-emergencies and 999 for emergency situations.
Additional Information:
The police recorded 62,907 incidents of domestic abuse in 2019-20, an increase of 4% compared to the previous year. This is the fourth year in a row this figure has shown an increase. In 2019-20, 40% of incidents of domestic abuse recorded by the police in Scotland included the recording of at least one crime or offence.
The type of crime or offence that was most frequently recorded as part of a domestic abuse incident in 2019-20 was Common assault, accounting for 34% of all crimes and offences recorded. This was followed by Breach of the peace etc. accounting for 26% of crimes and offences.
Following its enactment on the 1 April 2019, crimes recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 accounted for 4% of crimes and offences recorded as part of a domestic abuse incident in 2019-20.
Where gender information was recorded, around four-in-five (82%) incidents of domestic abuse in 2019-20 involved a female victim and a male accused. This was the same as in 2018-19.
In 2019-20, 15% of domestic abuse incidents involved a male victim and a female accused (where gender information was recorded). This decreased slightly from 16% in 2018-19.
In 2019-20, the 26 to 30 years old age group had the highest incident rate for victims (272 incidents recorded per 10,000 population). The 31 to 35 years old age group had the highest incident rate for the accused (257 incidents recorded per 10,000 population).
Recorded incidents of domestic abuse were higher on a Saturday or Sunday than on any other day of the week, with these two days together accounting for 34% of incidents in 2019-20.
In 2019-20, around nine-in-ten (88%) of all domestic abuse incidents occurred in a home or dwelling.