Meeting of the Parliament 05 December 2024
Violence against women and girls is a blight on our society. It is a consequence of gender inequality and the misogyny that permeates all our lives.
I begin by thanking Zero Tolerance Scotland for sharing some research ahead of the debate, as well as for its year-round work. Zero Tolerance says that girls and young women are facing a
“daily assault of misogyny”,
while boys and young men
“face the pressure of unhealthy masculinity”,
and it warns that extreme misogyny is resurging, with attitudes that seek to justify and incite violence finding a home on the internet.
Online communities and so-called influencers create content that is targeted specifically towards boys and young men, peddling extreme misogynistic views that can then creep into other online and offline discourse. Last year, 83 per cent of secondary school teachers said that they were worried that those attitudes and beliefs were having a direct and negative impact on pupils’ behaviour, which is obviously extremely concerning.
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts has a global flagship campaign to end violence against girls and women, for which it should be commended. During a recent visit to the annual review of Girlguiding West Lanarkshire, which covers part of my Rutherglen constituency, I was honoured to become a Girlguiding ambassador. That role encompasses recognising the value of what Girlguiding does and promoting its opportunities for girls and young women.
Each year, girl guides and girl scouts around the world play their part in tackling violence against women and girls in their communities through advocacy, education, awareness raising, community action and research. At home, Girlguiding UK produces an annual girls’ attitudes survey. Now in its 16th year, the survey gives girls and young women a platform to speak out about the things that matter to them and, importantly, asks about the challenges that they face today. This year, Girlguiding also produced a manifesto called “For all girls” ahead of the general election.
Some of the statistics from that work are sobering. Compared with 10 years ago, twice as many girls now report feeling unsafe due to sexism; 69 per cent of girls say that they hear “toxic” comments about women and girls at school; and 44 per cent say that they have heard comments at school that have made them feel afraid for their safety. The writers concluded that, because of the rise of sexism, online misogyny and gender-based violence, girls often do not feel safe.
The refreshed equally safe strategy, which was launched earlier this year, states that by challenging the misogyny and harmful attitudes that those young people report
“we pave the way for the effective dismantling of gender-based”
structures and attitudes that enable and support violence against women and girls.
Research shows us that education is a critical component in changing societal attitudes and reducing abuse. It can cover issues such as consent, healthy relationships, understanding signs of abusive behaviour and challenging gender stereotypes from an early age. The latest delivering equally safe fund impact report shows that the number of young people who are accessing sessions via grass-roots organisations is increasing, which is to be welcomed. However, it can still feel like, as a society, we have a very long way to go.
There is no doubt that this is challenging work. Misogyny must be challenged. Aggression and violence against women and girls is unacceptable, and we must all add our support and efforts to ensure that we have equally safe places for all women and girls. That is crucial if we are to achieve our shared aim of having a Scotland without violence, in any of its forms, against women and girls.
16:15