Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 05 December 2024
05 Dec 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Violence Against Women and Girls (Young People’s Voices)
I am glad that the minister has said that. I would like her to share that with her colleagues and make sure that it is enshrined, and to say that to the King’s counsel who represented the Government, who needed a flow diagram to describe this. The minister should have a conversation with her very own Government KC.
Today’s debate is an opportunity to take stock, to call for greater accountability and to demand renewed action. Violence against women and girls can and must be prevented, but to get there the Government and the Parliament must look inwards as well as outwards.
15:57In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-15735, in the name of Kaukab Stewart, on empowering young people’s voices in tackling violence against wo...
The Minister for Equalities (Kaukab Stewart)
SNP
I am proud to open our debate to mark the annual 16 days of activism against gender-based violence campaign, which calls for everyone to imagine a Scotland t...
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
Do the Scottish Government and the minister believe that one of the best ways to improve the situation with violence against women and girls is through educa...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Minister, I will give you the time back.
Kaukab Stewart
SNP
I agree, and I am glad that the member has given me the opportunity to re-emphasise my point and celebrate the important work of Education Scotland and our t...
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
As we mark the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, the scourge of violence against women and girls continues to stain society in Scotland, in ...
Kaukab Stewart
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Tess White
Con
Will I get the time back?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
You will get the time back.
Kaukab Stewart
SNP
Will the member accept that, under the Equality Act 2010, single-sex spaces are absolutely a right?
Tess White
Con
I am glad that the minister has said that. I would like her to share that with her colleagues and make sure that it is enshrined, and to say that to the King...
Katy Clark (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the minister for bringing the motion to the chamber, as we mark the 16 days of activism, and for the cross-party nature of the debate. The 16 days of...
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
I refer colleagues to my entry in the members’ register of interests. Prior to my election, I worked for a rape crisis centre. It is so important that, duri...
Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
I am pleased to contribute on behalf of Scottish Liberal Democrats to the annual debate on the 16 days of international activism. I thank the many organisati...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
We move to the open debate. 16:11
Clare Haughey (Rutherglen) (SNP)
SNP
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...
Pam Gosal (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
I thank all the organisations that provided briefings for the debate and commend them for the hard work that they do. I also thank For Women Scotland for wor...
Audrey Nicoll (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
SNP
I appreciate everything that the member has pointed out. I wonder whether she welcomes the fact that yesterday’s budget announcement included £26 million spe...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Pam Gosal, I can give you the time back.
Pam Gosal
Con
Thank you. We need absolutely every penny. This is about not just domestic abuse and sexual violence but making sure that the streets are safe, so that our ...
Elena Whitham (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP)
SNP
Like many feminists of a certain age, I am tired of fighting a system that is so ingrained with inequality that it feels immovable and intransigent. It is as...
Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
Con
Elena Whitham was not able to make the event at Beira’s Place, which was sponsored by Claire Baker and Tess White. Scotland is the only country in the UK tha...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Elena Whitham, I can give you the time back.
Elena Whitham
SNP
I absolutely agree with the member. I have been looking at that issue for a long time. Before coming to Parliament, I led work in the East Ayrshire violence ...
Carol Mochan (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the chance to speak in the debate and contribute to this sobering discussion of what more can be done to protect and empower young people’s voices ...
Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
SNP
Not so long ago, in this chamber, we reflected on the situation in Afghanistan and the terrible and horrific circumstances for women and girls in that countr...
Maggie Chapman
Green
I spoke earlier about oor fierce girls in Dundee and the brave lassies blether campaign in Angus, which are making a huge difference to the lives of young pe...
Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to close on behalf of Scottish Labour in an important debate. I will pick up where other speakers have left off in reflecting on the importance ...
Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
I am pleased to close on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives, and to have listened to such impassioned speeches from members on all sides of the chamber in ...
Audrey Nicoll
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?