Chamber
Plenary, 09 Nov 2006
09 Nov 2006 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Violence Against Women
This has been a passionate, articulate and well-informed debate. I want to continue by quoting from the inaugural professorial lecture that was given in 2001 by the feminist academic Professor Liz Kelly, when she became head of the child and woman abuse studies unit at London Metropolitan University. She said:
"We are a very long way from the ambition of the women's liberation movement—later adopted by the United Nations and Council of Europe—of ending violence against women. But we—and by we, here I mean women and men across the globe involved in this work at every level—we have changed the world.
Violence against women is now defined by the UN and many national governments as both a fundamental violation of women's human rights and a continuing barrier to achieving equality between women and men.
The themes of domestic violence, incest, rape, sexual harassment and trafficking appear in popular media on every continent.
The new responses we imagined and created in the 1970s—refuges, helplines, support groups—are now considered basic requirements and have, arguably, even in some instances become institutionalised themselves."
That is a good summary of where we came from and where we have reached. It is occasionally good to look back and to see how far we have come, but we know how far we still have to go.
There is no country in the world where women are safe from violence. That encompasses all forms of violence, throughout all sectors of society. In Cambodia, 16 per cent of women are physically abused by their husbands. In the UK, 30 per cent are physically abused by partners or ex-partners. The figure is 52 per cent in the West Bank. In Nicaragua it is 21 per cent, in Canada it is 29 per cent and in the United States it is 22 per cent. It was estimated in a World Bank report that violence against women is as serious a cause of death and incapacity among women of reproductive age as cancer, and that it is a greater cause of ill health than traffic accidents and malaria combined.
At least a quarter to a third of all women in Scotland will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lives. Domestic abuse can and does happen anywhere, so there must be women among our friends, our family, our colleagues and our acquaintances who are or have been subjected to domestic abuse. The fact that we cannot identify them demonstrates the hidden nature of the problem.
"We are a very long way from the ambition of the women's liberation movement—later adopted by the United Nations and Council of Europe—of ending violence against women. But we—and by we, here I mean women and men across the globe involved in this work at every level—we have changed the world.
Violence against women is now defined by the UN and many national governments as both a fundamental violation of women's human rights and a continuing barrier to achieving equality between women and men.
The themes of domestic violence, incest, rape, sexual harassment and trafficking appear in popular media on every continent.
The new responses we imagined and created in the 1970s—refuges, helplines, support groups—are now considered basic requirements and have, arguably, even in some instances become institutionalised themselves."
That is a good summary of where we came from and where we have reached. It is occasionally good to look back and to see how far we have come, but we know how far we still have to go.
There is no country in the world where women are safe from violence. That encompasses all forms of violence, throughout all sectors of society. In Cambodia, 16 per cent of women are physically abused by their husbands. In the UK, 30 per cent are physically abused by partners or ex-partners. The figure is 52 per cent in the West Bank. In Nicaragua it is 21 per cent, in Canada it is 29 per cent and in the United States it is 22 per cent. It was estimated in a World Bank report that violence against women is as serious a cause of death and incapacity among women of reproductive age as cancer, and that it is a greater cause of ill health than traffic accidents and malaria combined.
At least a quarter to a third of all women in Scotland will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lives. Domestic abuse can and does happen anywhere, so there must be women among our friends, our family, our colleagues and our acquaintances who are or have been subjected to domestic abuse. The fact that we cannot identify them demonstrates the hidden nature of the problem.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5109, in the name of Malcolm Chisholm, on violence against women.
The Minister for Communities (Malcolm Chisholm):
Lab
This is the 16th year of the United Nations campaign of activism to end violence against women, and I am proud that the Parliament is again discussing male v...
Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
The minister mentions 600 updated spaces since 2000. I want to get my figures right. From the website of Scottish Women's Aid, I have a figure of 234 refuge ...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
I am giving the figure of 600 for new, adapted, refurbished or upgraded spaces since 2000. I do not know what the figure of 234 refers to.We are pleased to c...
Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I note the terms of the Government's motion and I note the minister's words. We on this side of the chamber will be supporting the motion. The minister did n...
Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP):
SSP
I welcome the debate and I will support the Executive motion—that is a rare occurrence. I congratulate the Minister for Communities and the Deputy Minister f...
Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
We will be supporting the motion. The fact that many women in Scotland are still facing the horror of domestic abuse is an incredible statistic with Dickensi...
Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD):
LD
In 1999, the United Nations adopted November 25 as the international day for the elimination of violence against women. That violence includes domestic viole...
Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome the motion, which comes in the run-up to the 16 days of activism against gender violence. The 16 days run from 25 November, which is the internatio...
John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP):
SSCUP
Does the member agree that we insult men by accusing them of such abuse? The people who commit such crimes—they are crimes—against women are less than men an...
Cathy Peattie:
Lab
I want John Swinburne and other men in the Parliament to say that to the men concerned. The perpetrators are men—in general, it is men who commit such violen...
Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green):
Green
As the motion highlights, we have a great history of women's rights activism in Scotland. This week, I visited the Eighteen and Under centre in Dundee, which...
Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab):
Lab
I refer members to my entry in the register of members' interests. The motion is partly a tribute to the work done by local women's groups over the years to ...
Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP):
SNP
The experience of this man—I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the debate—as an MSP is probably, alas, not dissimilar to that of others. I th...
Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol):
Sol
I, too, welcome the debate, and congratulate Scottish Women's Aid, and rape crisis centres and other voluntary sector projects on the excellent work that the...
Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab):
Lab
"She dressed the wrong way." "She walked in the wrong place." "She said the wrong thing." "She was asking for it." Sadly, in certain sections of Scottish soc...
Carolyn Leckie:
SSP
We have had a good discussion this afternoon rather than a debate. One of the best things about it has been that we have not had the ritual of Mike Rumbles t...
Nora Radcliffe:
LD
This has been a passionate, articulate and well-informed debate. I want to continue by quoting from the inaugural professorial lecture that was given in 2001...
Cathy Peattie:
Lab
Does the member think that it is more appropriate to use the phrase "domestic violence" than it is to use the word "abuse"? Although it is abuse, we must rec...
Nora Radcliffe:
LD
I take Cathy Peattie's point, but I refer her to what other members have said about the mental undermining of people. Cathy Peattie's point is well made but ...
Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con):
Con
As Carolyn Leckie said, this has been a good debate and it has been largely consensual. Perhaps uncharacteristically, I will not seek to break that consensus...
Christine Grahame:
SNP
I am hoping that Mr Aitken will get to the point of addressing our amendment, which I surmise from his comments the Conservatives will not support. I ask him...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
Lab
You should be finishing, Mr Aitken.
Christine Grahame:
SNP
I intervened as he looked as if he was running out of steam.
Bill Aitken:
Con
Clearly, Glasgow has more than its fair share of this type of problem. I fully concede the point. However, from reports that I have received, I understand th...
Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I concur with everything the Executive has set out in its motion. I am pleased that the debate is being conducted under the heading "Violence Against Women" ...
The Deputy Minister for Communities (Johann Lamont):
Lab
I welcome the opportunity to sum up this very important debate, which reminds us of one of the critical issues that we discuss and have to address.I will rep...
Christine Grahame:
SNP
I thank the minister for that clarification. I was not sure how secure the figures were; they were the best that I could obtain. I am obliged to her for the ...
Johann Lamont:
Lab
I can get back to Christine Grahame on the detail of how the statistics are managed. I agree that there is a challenge for all those who are working to suppo...
John Swinburne:
SSCUP
Does the minister agree that it is surprising that the issue of alcohol has not been raised during today's debate as, often, the pathetic excuses for men who...