Meeting of the Parliament 30 November 2022
Violence against women and girls is underpinned by a culture of sexism and misogyny. Sexism and sexual harassment are normalised in our society. Daily occurrences are not called out and are not recognised as violence against women.
The Compass Centre, which is also known as Shetland Rape Crisis, ran an awareness-raising project: towards a safer Shetland. The project received almost 200 submissions, which make for sobering reading.
Anonymous contributors described experiences of sexual violence that occurred in Shetland, including harassment, assault, abuse and rape. One wrote that
“an old man made comments about my appearance that made me feel really uncomfortable. I was only 16 and the adults standing next to me didn’t do anything to help.”
Another wrote that when they speak up about men leering,
“people tell me to dress more appropriately even though it has nothing to do with what I wear.”
A third contributor wrote:
“One day on a bus, when I was 16, a much older man sexually harassed me ... everyone sitting near us on the bus could hear, but didn’t tell him to stop.”
A common thread is clear: bystanders and witnesses to sexual harassment ignore the problem, blame the victim or pretend that they cannot hear—or perhaps all three. It is everyone’s responsibility to call out sexual harassment and sexist behaviour whenever and wherever it occurs, but men have a particular role to play. Police Scotland’s “that guy” campaign made a positive contribution, urging men to take responsibility for ending sexual violence by changing their own behaviours and challenging those of their peers. It is only with the active participation of men that harmful norms can be fully challenged.
For many women, going to work involves facing sexual and sexist harassment day after day. In one survey, half of women responded that on starting a new job, they were warned to expect inappropriate behaviour from particular colleagues. Workplaces need clear anti-harassment policies and anti-sexism education for all employees. For women from oppressed and minoritised groups, sexual and sexist harassment interacts with other forms of discrimination, stereotyping and prejudice, all of which must be addressed to end violence against women and girls.
Key work to prevent violence against women starts in schools. Boys and young men need positive male role models who stand up to violence against women. Rape Crisis Scotland runs prevention workshops covering gender, consent and the impacts of sexual violence. Shetland Women’s Aid works to prevent domestic abuse; I had the privilege of being a trustee of the organisation, and I commend the important work that it does to support women and families who are impacted by domestic abuse. As part of the 16 days of activism, Shetland Women’s Aid and the Compass Centre have staged a play with creative input from survivors about the impacts of coercive control—shining a light on those stories is important. To end violence against women and girls, we must be able to have those uncomfortable conversations to understand the extent of the problem, and men in particular must confront each other’s behaviour.
The Scottish Government must make every possible endeavour to end men’s violence against women and girls. Practical help is needed for organisations that work to end gender-based violence. Limited access to legal aid continues to be a barrier to women seeking justice. Scotland needs accessible and specific legal aid services for women who are affected by domestic abuse. I have repeatedly called on the Scottish Government to establish a national commission to end violence against women and girls that brings together charities and experts on gender-based violence. Such a commission could inform policy and practice in Scotland. I repeat the call for a commission today—we owe it to all women who are affected by men’s violence to act now.