Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 17 December 2013
17 Dec 2013 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Violence against Women
The phrase “violence against women” is made up of three little words, but involves so much pain. It encompasses domestic abuse, rape, child sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, commercial sexual exploitation, forced and child marriages, honour crimes, stalking, verbal and emotional abuse and vile online bullying and abuse. It is a litany of misery that can be summed up by another three little words: abuse of power.
I pay tribute to the many organisations that work with the people who are affected by such violence. I acknowledge the progress that has been made and note that Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service have recently undertaken welcome initiatives on the issue.
However, we do not need to look far to find examples of how much more needs to be done. I will give just a few. In September, Scottish Women’s Aid’s annual census showed that, on one day in Scotland, 341 women and 257 children were living in a Women’s Aid refuge. On that same day, a further 809 women and 319 children were supported by a Women’s Aid group.
Last month, a video emerged of the University of Stirling’s men’s hockey team taking part in offensive and misogynistic chanting on a packed public bus. Last week, Laura Bates’s everyday sexism project, which documents women’s daily experiences of gender inequality, hit the 50,000 mark: it has collected 50,000 stories of abuse and harassment. Here is just one them:
“I’m only 14 yet almost every conversation I have with a guy involves them asking for nudes, my bra size and trying to sext me, and when I say ‘Please stop’ or ‘No, you’re rude’, I’m called a bitch, whore and slut and they eventually stop talking to me. I’m 14 and this is considered normal for girls my age.”
A couple of weeks ago, a team at the University of Bedfordshire published “A qualitative study of gang-associated sexual violence towards, and exploitation of, young people in England”. I grant that it looked at the situation in England, but there are lessons for us to learn. It makes chilling reading and demonstrates just how little deep-rooted attitudes have changed in our country. I despaired when I read:
“Boys are predators, girls are prey, innit?”
That was the view of a 16-year-old boy. A young woman at a focus group explained fatalistically:
“I’m used to it ... It’s normal ... It’s wrong, but you get used to it ... Welcome to our generation”.
My goodness, there is a lot yet to do.
I therefore welcome the development of Scotland’s strategy to tackle violence against women, but fine words alone will not bring about the kind of change that we need. We need a shared understanding and approach that must be at the forefront of everyone’s minds every day. The report “Scotland’s National Action Plan for Human Rights 2013-2017”, which was published last week, recommended that the strategy must be accompanied by an action plan. SNAP priority 6 urges that we adopt a comprehensive human rights-based strategy to tackle violence against women.
It is clear that we need to see investment in work that tackles the root causes and creates an understanding of women’s inequality as a cause of violence against women. I urge the minister to ensure that the strategy prioritises work with young people in our schools, colleges, universities, workplaces, youth groups and young offenders institutions. We must do so much more to promote understanding of healthy relationships, equality and respect.
I will read from the foreword of the piece of research that I mentioned earlier:
“The final message therefore is that each of us has a role to play in combating the attitudes exposed in this report. From national and local government through to communities and individuals, we must support boys and young men to value healthy relationships and to understand ‘consent’. We must work with all children to ensure that women and girls are treated with respect, that there is a clear message that the sexual objectification of females will not be tolerated, and that children are brought up with hope and opportunities, channelling their energies and resourcefulness for their own and society’s good.”
The strategy would do well to embody those words.
16:46
I pay tribute to the many organisations that work with the people who are affected by such violence. I acknowledge the progress that has been made and note that Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service have recently undertaken welcome initiatives on the issue.
However, we do not need to look far to find examples of how much more needs to be done. I will give just a few. In September, Scottish Women’s Aid’s annual census showed that, on one day in Scotland, 341 women and 257 children were living in a Women’s Aid refuge. On that same day, a further 809 women and 319 children were supported by a Women’s Aid group.
Last month, a video emerged of the University of Stirling’s men’s hockey team taking part in offensive and misogynistic chanting on a packed public bus. Last week, Laura Bates’s everyday sexism project, which documents women’s daily experiences of gender inequality, hit the 50,000 mark: it has collected 50,000 stories of abuse and harassment. Here is just one them:
“I’m only 14 yet almost every conversation I have with a guy involves them asking for nudes, my bra size and trying to sext me, and when I say ‘Please stop’ or ‘No, you’re rude’, I’m called a bitch, whore and slut and they eventually stop talking to me. I’m 14 and this is considered normal for girls my age.”
A couple of weeks ago, a team at the University of Bedfordshire published “A qualitative study of gang-associated sexual violence towards, and exploitation of, young people in England”. I grant that it looked at the situation in England, but there are lessons for us to learn. It makes chilling reading and demonstrates just how little deep-rooted attitudes have changed in our country. I despaired when I read:
“Boys are predators, girls are prey, innit?”
That was the view of a 16-year-old boy. A young woman at a focus group explained fatalistically:
“I’m used to it ... It’s normal ... It’s wrong, but you get used to it ... Welcome to our generation”.
My goodness, there is a lot yet to do.
I therefore welcome the development of Scotland’s strategy to tackle violence against women, but fine words alone will not bring about the kind of change that we need. We need a shared understanding and approach that must be at the forefront of everyone’s minds every day. The report “Scotland’s National Action Plan for Human Rights 2013-2017”, which was published last week, recommended that the strategy must be accompanied by an action plan. SNAP priority 6 urges that we adopt a comprehensive human rights-based strategy to tackle violence against women.
It is clear that we need to see investment in work that tackles the root causes and creates an understanding of women’s inequality as a cause of violence against women. I urge the minister to ensure that the strategy prioritises work with young people in our schools, colleges, universities, workplaces, youth groups and young offenders institutions. We must do so much more to promote understanding of healthy relationships, equality and respect.
I will read from the foreword of the piece of research that I mentioned earlier:
“The final message therefore is that each of us has a role to play in combating the attitudes exposed in this report. From national and local government through to communities and individuals, we must support boys and young men to value healthy relationships and to understand ‘consent’. We must work with all children to ensure that women and girls are treated with respect, that there is a clear message that the sexual objectification of females will not be tolerated, and that children are brought up with hope and opportunities, channelling their energies and resourcefulness for their own and society’s good.”
The strategy would do well to embody those words.
16:46
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-08612, in the name of Shona Robison, on violence against women. We are incredibly short for time, so memb...
The Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport (Shona Robison)
SNP
On behalf of the Scottish Government, I am delighted to open this debate and to have an opportunity to reaffirm the Government’s unreserved commitment to tac...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
I very much regret the necessity for the debate. I believe that all members across the chamber regret the fact that, in 21st century Scotland, we are still d...
Shona Robison
SNP
Does Jackie Baillie welcome, as I do, the focus that Police Scotland now has on ensuring that repeat offenders are kept under observation?
Jackie Baillie
Lab
I absolutely do, and I will talk about Police Scotland in a minute.Scottish Women’s Aid tells us that two women will be murdered each week by their partner o...
Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
I welcome today’s debate, which has become an annual one because, sadly, the vexing problem of violence against women and children is not diminishing but is,...
Shona Robison
SNP
On the issue of prosecution, does Margaret Mitchell recognise that, where an incident of domestic abuse resulted in a crime or offence being recorded, a repo...
Margaret Mitchell
Con
I acknowledged that increase, and the awareness-raising work, at the beginning of my speech.To its eternal shame, the SNP voted against the amendment to the ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
We come to the open debate. We are extremely tight for time, so I will allow speeches of four minutes. That could change, so it would be helpful if members c...
Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP)
SNP
I take this opportunity to highlight the invaluable work of the many organisations that are involved in helping women and children affected by violence again...
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
I need to ask you to start winding up.
Sandra White
SNP
We have mentioned domestic violence, but we also need to look at the austerity measures that are coming from the Westminster Government, particularly the bed...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I am sorry, Ms White, but you have gone over four minutes.16:33
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
We live in a country that recognises prostitution as violence against women, but we continue to prosecute the abused while letting the perpetrator off scot f...
Sandra White
SNP
I was at the same meeting and met the same people as Rhoda Grant. I listened to them, and not once did those people blame the Scottish Government at all. I a...
Rhoda Grant
Lab
I am not talking about the content of the meeting that Sandra White and I attended—that was from someone who spoke to me.The Scottish Government had the oppo...
Maureen Watt (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member give way?
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The member is just winding up.
Rhoda Grant
Lab
Scotland will end up becoming a haven for prostitution, for gangsters and for traffickers who see us as being complicit in the trade. At some point, somebody...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I am sorry, but your time is up, Ms Grant.16:37
James Dornan (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP)
SNP
It is important to recognise that, although we have taken huge strides towards eliminating violence against women and towards changing a culture that had acc...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
You need to bring your remarks to a close.
James Dornan
SNP
The only thing on which I agree with Margaret Mitchell is the hope that this is not an annual debate.16:41
Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD)
LD
The phrase “violence against women” is made up of three little words, but involves so much pain. It encompasses domestic abuse, rape, child sexual abuse, sex...
Christina McKelvie (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP)
SNP
There are two distinct but entwined threads in this debate. The first is that men’s violence against women continues to blight our country and to cause immen...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Will you start winding up, Ms McKelvie?
Christina McKelvie
SNP
A further 141 cases were reported to the national sex crimes unit but had not been in court. The situation creates a double negative, in that judges do not s...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab)
Lab
The motion reminds us of“the valuable contribution that voluntary and third sector organisations have made to the shaping of Scotland’s approach to violence ...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
You need to bring your remarks to a close.
Malcolm Chisholm
Lab
Violence against women is a profound societal and cultural problem, but it is also perpetuated and reinforced by many of the products of that culture, which ...