Women ‘face a life of abuse and prejudice’

BEING a woman can lead to a lifetime of ‘discrimination and disadvantage,’ the Scottish Government declared yesterday as it launched a campaign to end violence against women and girls. Ministers unveiled a new ‘Equally Safe’ strategy which will tackle all forms of violence suffered by females and include a review of the justice system.

The Scottish Government said that while Equally Safe recognises that men and boys can also experience violence, it aims to highlight that ‘being female in itself can lead to a range of discrimination and disadvantage’.

Official data published in the Scottish Government’s Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) suggested one in seven men and women – 14 per cent – have ‘experienced psychological or physical abuse’ at some point.

The drive against violence targeted at females will include a review of laws on sexual offences and domestic abuse to gauge if the current legislation reflects the true experience of victims of long-term abuse, or if new criminal offences need to be created.

The Mail revealed earlier this month that the shake-up could allow prosecution of domestic abusers for ‘non-violent’ offences.

The strategy has been developed by the Scottish Government and the local authority group Cosla, with other bodies including Scottish Women’s Aid, Rape Crisis Scotland and Police Scotland.

It aims to tackle all forms of violence against females, including domestic abuse, rape, sexual harassment and stalking.

It also deals with the sexual exploitation of women in human trafficking and prostitution, female genital mutilation and forced marriage.

The SCJS also found that 4 per cent of women had suffered at least one incident of serious sexual abuse since they were 16, compared to 1 per cent of men.

While 3 per cent of both men and women said they had been abused by their partner in some way in the last 12 months, 17 per cent of women have been the victim of

‘Reject all forms

of violence’

domestic abuse since the age of 16, compared to 10 per cent of men.

Equalities Minister Shona Robison said: ‘No woman or girl in our society should be subject to violence or abuse of any kind whether physical or non-physical.

‘ It i s our plan to eradicate violence against women.’

Cosla community well- being spokesman councillor Harry McGuigan said: ‘There is no excuse for violence against women and girls, and all those people and organisations which can, should do all that is possible to prevent and eradicate it.’

Equally Safe sets four key priorities, calling for a society which ‘embraces equality and mutual respect, and rejects all forms of violence against women and girls’ where women and girls can ‘thrive as equal citizens: socially, culturally, economically and politically’.

It also sets out that actions to address violence against females should be ‘early and effective’, and aimed at preventing violence where possible and maximising the safety and well-being of women and girls.

Scotland’s top police officer, Sir Stephen House, said police were ‘committed to impacting on all forms of violence across Scotland, and particularly in respect of violence against women and girls’.

Solicitor General Lesley Thomson, QC, said: ‘The strategy highlights the need to continue the modernisation drive in the way we tackle domestic abuse cases.’