Silence held at Scottish Parliament for women killed by men this year
A debate is being held this afternoon on eliminating violence against women and girls
Last updated 25th Nov 2021
A one-minute silence has been held at the Scottish Parliament for all women killed by men this year.
The event was organised on the 30th anniversary of the UN's global campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which runs from November 25th to December 10th.
The silence was held at 11:30am on Thursday across Parliament ahead of a debate led by Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison on eliminating violence against women and girls.
Ms Robison said: "Today the Scottish Parliament is coming together to clearly and unequivocally condemn violence against women in Scotland and around the world, and to mourn the deaths of women globally.
"This year we particularly have in mind the tragic cases of Sabina Nessa, Sarah Everard, Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, which have shone a spotlight on the violence that many women face.
"But the awful truth is there are many more murders that do not get the same level of attention - the latest UN figures show that around 87,000 women around the world were killed by men in 2017 alone."
The silence also marks the launch of the Scottish Government's campaign to encourage survivors of domestic abuse to seek support.
It aims to raise awareness of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, which enabled the courts to consider psychological abuse and coercive or controlling behaviour alongside physical assaults and threats.
Ms Robinson added: "Violence against women and girls is underpinned by inequality and the attitudes and structural barriers that perpetuate it.
"That is why the Scottish Government has focused on ensuring that women and children get the help they need, with tackling all forms of gender-based violence as a core priority.
"Within the first 100 days of this government we provided £5 million to rape crisis centres and domestic abuse services to help them cut waiting times, on top of £5.75 million we allocated in 2020-21 to help redesign frontline services.
"Furthermore, our Delivering Equally Safe Fund is providing £38 million over the next two years to organisations helping to prevent abuse and to aid recovery where it does happen."
November 25th also marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The UN's 16-day campaign was started by activists at the inaugural Women's Global Leadership Institute in 1991, and continues to be coordinated each year by the Centre for Women's Global Leadership.
#IWalkWithWomen
New research by Forth 1 has revealed half of women now feel less safe.
To mark the six month anniversary of Sarah’s death, Bauer's publication, Grazia, conducted nationwide research in partnership with GoFundMe, after holding a discussion on the issue of women’s safety as part of our #IWalkWithWomen initiative.
Roughly 73% of men and women in Scotland agree that her disappearance was a defining moment in the discussion about women's safety.
82% of women surveyed said they feel unsafe walking home alone after a night out
Our research has found more than four in five women still don’t feel safe walking home on their own after a night out. In the last six months, more than 1 in 5 have learned self defence.
Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates says: "It’s not surprising many women still feel unsafe – we haven’t seen the systemic change that we need to actually shift our daily reality.
"The conversation is a vital starting point, but what we need now is action from people in authority; people with the power to create real change, and that involves education, a criminal justice system that doesn’t fail women and girls at every turn, and a media that doesn’t sensationalise or dismiss violence against women."
63% of men told us they haven't thought about or researched ways to make women feel safer on the streets.
In Edinburgh, 1 in 3 men think that if women want to stay safe, they should not go out by themselves at night.
But in Glasgow, just under 50% of women say a male friend has offered to walk them home - the third highest rate in the UK.
Watch the 'We Need To Talk About Women’s Safety' discussion
Our Bauer Media panel and guests took part in an important discussion on women’s safety and what we can do to implement change. You can view the video below or on Closer's YouTube.
Trigger warning: You might find subjects in this discussion distressing. If you need any help and support you can call the Samaritans on 116 123.
If you need to report instances of harassment or abuse and feel comfortable to do so you can contact Police Scotland or the National Domestic Abuse helpline.