Hansard

The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick) NPA

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-14930, in the name of Margaret Burgess, on violence against women: 16 days of activism. I advise all memb...

The Minister for Housing and Welfare (Margaret Burgess) SNP

Tomorrow is the international day for the elimination of violence against women, which marks the commencement of the annual 16 days of activism to eliminate ...

Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) SNP

To the very great shame of the men here and throughout Scotland, it is not just that women are disproportionately the victims, but that men are disproportion...

Margaret Burgess SNP

I absolutely agree. In many ways, the Scottish Parliament can show an example in the number of men who are highlighting that very fact—that the male of the s...

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

I have been listening carefully to the minister, and I think that we all welcome the work that the Government is doing. However, is the Government looking at...

Margaret Burgess SNP

We will certainly be looking at that. We need to establish the incidence of domestic abuse over the country, then where it is happening in the country and th...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith) Lab

I call Elaine Murray to speak to and move amendment S4M-14930.1. Ms Murray, you have 10 minutes or so, with time for interventions. 14:40

Elaine Murray (Dumfriesshire) (Lab) Lab

I will start by saying a few words about the intention behind the Labour amendment. It replaces the word “welcomes” in the motion with the word “acknowledges...

Stewart Stevenson SNP

Does the member share my revulsion at the Daily Mail, which this week published what could be a sexual image of a woman in a bath, saying that it was one of ...

Elaine Murray Lab

I thank the member for bringing that to my attention; I was completely unaware of it, but it sounds absolutely disgraceful and it deserves to be condemned. ...

Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) SNP

I am sure that the member is aware that in many schools, certainly across my constituency in the Borders and Midlothian, the police go in and educate primary...

Elaine Murray Lab

Indeed, but even more about the way in which sex is presented in terms of respect and consent needs to go throughout the curriculum. We also need to address ...

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

I welcome the debate on violence against women, and I am pleased to support the motion. We will also be supporting Labour’s amendment. This is an issue that ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

We turn to the open debate, with speeches of seven minutes, please. 14:57

Christina McKelvie (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) SNP

The 16 days of activism against gender-based violence campaign originated from the first women’s global leadership institute back in 1991. There will be a wi...

Margaret McCulloch (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Today we mark the 16 days of activism that are about to begin and which will confront gender-based violence all around the world. We are not only united in ...

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD) LD

I am sure that we all agree with the words of the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who said: “Violence against women is never acceptable, never ...

Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) SNP

I have chaired two justice committees—one in the first session of this Parliament and one now, in its fourth session—so I will focus on legislation that we h...

Fiona McLeod (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) SNP

I found preparing for the debate interesting. As most members know, I like to look at the evidence and to bring before the chamber a lot of facts and figures...

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab) Lab

As Fiona McLeod reminded us, great progress has been made in the years of the Scottish Parliament on our response to violence against women. That was reinfor...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

I am afraid that I have been so generous with time that I now have to ask members to keep their speeches to seven minutes or thereby, please. 15:43

Clare Adamson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP

The UN webpage entitled “UNiTE to End Violence Against Women” tells us that, every year, millions of women and girls worldwide suffer from violence, whether ...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I am pleased that there is general support for the Government motion, as amended by my colleag...

Mark McDonald (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) SNP

On Friday I will visit Grampian Women’s Aid, which is having an open day as part of the 16 days campaign and which has recently relocated to an office in my ...

Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green) Green

I welcome this debate to mark the international day for the elimination of violence against women and the next 16 days of activism against gender-based viole...

Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) SNP

I welcome the Government’s acceptance of the Labour amendment, which gives us the opportunity at 5 o’clock to speak from the chamber with a single voice that...

Jayne Baxter (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab

Tomorrow, 25 November, marks the international day for the elimination of violence against women. This date was designated by a resolution of the United Na...

Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I, too, am pleased to speak in the debate after so many serious and affecting contributions from throughout the chamber. I start with a quote from article 2...

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

On behalf of my party, I very much welcome the consensual tone in the chamber. I acknowledge the work that the Government is doing. Whether it is doing it fa...

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Lab

I welcome the debate and believe that it has been a very good one. There is general agreement that violence against women is caused by gender inequality—an i...