LOCAL MSP OPPOSES VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Strathaven based MSP Linda Fabiani is urging men to play a greater role when it comes to tackling violence against women.

Ms Fabiani expressed her support for the White Ribbon Scotland campaign as it launched a new interactive website (www.whiteribbonscotland.org.uk) to enable Scottish men to take a stand against violence against women.

White Ribbon Scotland is part of an international movement that encourages men’s involvement in stopping violence against women. Supporting organisations include Amnesty International, Men’s Health Forum Scotland, Rape Crisis Scotland, the Scottish Trades Union Congress and Zero Tolerance.

The new interactive website, recently launched at the Scottish Trade Union Congress, enables men to sign up to the White Ribbon Pledge “not to commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women” and to leave messages and upload pictures of themselves wearing a campaign white ribbon. It also provides links, resources and ideas to enable men to take action.

Ms Fabiani said:

“This is a subject that is too often hidden away from the public and from family, friends and neighbours. It is a difficult matter for victims to speak out-on and so it often continues without the perpetrators being challenged.

“That is why I welcome a campaign that asks men themselves to speak out against such violence and state publicly that such violence is wrong.

“Having men challenge this violence can send out the message that violence against women by men is completely unacceptable and that women are not objects of abuse.

“Violence against women is not just a female matter it is a male matter and the more men that speak out against it the more it can be challenged within society.

“Men can help this campaign by visiting the White Ribbon website at www.whiteribbonscotland.org.uk and adding their support for an end to violence against women.”

END

Notes:

1) White Ribbon Scotland is one of over 40 national White Ribbon campaigns working with men around the world.

2) In a survey for Amnesty International, over 1 in 4 respondents thought a women was partially or totally responsible for being raped if she was wearing sexy or revealing clothing, and more than 1 in 5 held the same view if a woman had had many sexual partners. Focus groups of non-violent men, also carried out by Amnesty, found a strong reluctance to see violence against women as something of concern to them but did identify ways in which men could be brought to relate to the issue.

3) In addition to providing online access to the White Ribbon Pledge, the website contains a wealth of information about violence against women, suggestions for actions men can take and answers to frequently asked questions such as “what about violence against men?.