There are things that can be done to protect women. They must be done
In the tumult of these times, as we struggle to comprehend one erupting scandal before another demands our attention, it can be tempting to shorten our to-do list.
When our communities face so many compelling problems, it is sometimes easier to mentally put some to one side as simply too difficult, too intractable, to dwell on.
The suspicion that, no matter what policy-makers and politicians do, there are some things that are just too hard to change can be difficult to shake; that no matter how many public awareness campaigns are launched, how much legislation is enacted, how many police campaigns are mobilised, nothing can be done.
Terribly, violence against women, generally, and violence inflicted in their own homes by their own partners, specifically, can sometimes feel enduring, unalterable. It isn’t though. It can be halted, women can be protected and lives can be saved.
Yes, despite all the best efforts of some of Scotland’s most engaged politicians, campaigners, police and policy-makers, women are still being physically and psychologically attacked by the men they live with. And yes, there will always be brutish inadequates willing to inflict agony and anguish on their partners.
But, crucially, we have the power to make a difference. This problem is not so ingrained in our society that nothing can
We cannot wring our hands and look away
be done. We must not allow ourselves to collectively wring our hands, shrug our shoulders, and look the other way.
Today, we reveal the victims behind the terrible statistics, the mothers, daughters and sisters killed by their partners in just one year in Scotland. Every single one of them should be with their families today and every one of their stories should cement our commitment to prevent the deaths of other women to other violent men.
Marsha Scott, of Scottish Women’s Aid, admits domestic abuse is often the cause and consequence of poverty, of women not having the means to escape. Easing that inequality may be a long-term aspiration but there are still things that can be done, must be done, in the here and now.
Quite simply, we need to make it easier for women to seek and secure refuge from violent, bullying partners and ensure they have more confidence in the authorities to understand their situation and offer practical support and assistance.
Most pragmatically, that means reversing the salami-slicing of social work services that has taken place during a decade of austerity and it means investing in training to give frontline staff the skills to identify warning signs, to uncover the risks and to offer viable options and real protection.
That is, of course, where the rhetoric of our politicians hits the reality of austerity, straitened times and budget cuts. It is where our politicians, at all levels of government, must stop talking and start properly resourcing these lifeline services.
They need to because doing nothing is no option at all.