Hansard

It is, of course, right that this Parliament collectively recognises the global campaign—the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence—that highlights the brutality that women across the world still face. However, it is with a sense of regret that we have to do so at all. That, in itself, ensures that the spotlight is on what remains one of the most difficult challenges our society faces here, in Scotland, and throughout the world: violence perpetrated against women by men.

Of course, it is not all men, by any means, but we need to examine the underlying causes of such violence so that we can prevent it. We must change the everyday sexism and misogyny in society, here and elsewhere, that can help to perpetuate violence or support people to look away when they should speak up. That is where we are seeing a shift in society now. Men are recognising that they have a role in standing against violence against women and girls by changing the way that they behave and calling out behaviour among other men.

Men’s silence can feel supportive or even condoning of the violence that women and girls experience. As the philosopher Paulo Friere said,

“Washing one’s hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.”

It is vital that men speak out. We need men to lead by example to their friends, family and children.

I say to men that we need you to reflect on your past experiences and on the times that you may have inadvertently been permissive about misogynistic values because it was framed as a joke or maybe just banter. We need you to look critically at how the power imbalance has impacted those whom you know and love, and we need you to carry those messages proactively to the men around you.

Men must take the lead on this challenge. They hold a unique place in challenging their peers, even when it might be uncomfortable—believe me, that discomfort is less damaging than being a victim of violence. That is what is refreshing about Police Scotland’s “That guy” campaign. The campaign, which is an excellent example of men standing up to be counted, challenges casual sexism and encourages self-reflection. It urges men to take responsibility for their actions and those of their peers in order to help to effect a culture change to tackle sexual crime against women. The current phase asks men to challenge their friends’ behaviour and to talk openly to male friends about behaviour that is damaging to women. First launched in October 2021, the online campaign has been viewed more than 6 million times globally and has been adapted for use in countries worldwide.

The campaign puts the onus on men, and not women, to change their behaviour. As women, we already modify our behaviour every single day, but we should not have to and we certainly do not want to. We should not have to stop our evening run in the park because it gets dark early. We should not have to walk from the bus stop with our keys rammed in our hands in case somebody jumps us. We should not have to take a different route home to avoid a group of men, and we certainly should not be telling our daughters to cross the road if a man is walking behind them. None of us should have to put up with sexism and misogyny or be subject to abuse and violence, yet that is still happening the world over.

Although I recognise that change is happening, it is not taking place at the pace that we would expect or can accept. Collectively, we need to do more. That is why men must speak up and act.

Last Friday—the first day of the 16 days of activism—I spoke at the north-east violence against women forum. Other speakers included Ryan Hart, whose coercively controlling father murdered his mother and sister in 2016, and Kirsty Spencer, who spoke eloquently and powerfully about her sister, Dawn Rhodes, whose husband killed her in their family home. They provided a stark message about the harm that is caused by such violence to individuals, their families and their friends, and to society. They also spoke about the necessity of professionals understanding the issues and responding in a risk and trauma-informed way.

We also heard from people on the front line who provide essential support to victims and survivors about the necessity of continuing to focus on this issue and of building the capacity and confidence to deal with it.

I fully endorse the clear messages that emerged from the forum on the need to maintain momentum not just today but throughout the year. Addressing violence against women is a task not just for these 16 days, but for 365 days a year—each and every year. That is how we can make a difference not just today, through this debate, but every day in how we speak, work and act.

That is why the work of the equally safe strategy, which is co-authored and co-owned by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, is vital. The strategy, along with the accompanying delivery plan, has been a key driver in many of the improvements that have been made. Those include changes to legislation, increases in funding, work to drive forward prevention approaches, and capacity building for the workforce. I will continue to work with partners to continue that momentum, to ensure that the equally safe strategic approach continues to deliver the galvanising focus that it has done to date.

We are investing record levels of funding in front-line support services, capacity-building projects and prevention. Our delivering equally safe fund provides £19 million per year to support 121 projects that focus on early intervention, prevention and support services. The Scottish Government is committed to providing funding that works most effectively to improve outcomes for those who use the services. As such, an independent strategic review of funding to tackle violence against women and girls is under way, and I look forward to seeing the report’s recommendations in the summer of 2023.