Safer Lives: Changed Lives Conference

National Coordinators Network to

Address Violence Against Women

Gail CookKaren Macmillan

Background• Sole Workers, Support

• Information Sharing

Limitations

• Self organised group

• No formal remit or recognition

• No formal communication system with Scottish Government

Role of the Network

Scottish Government Funding : Coordinator March 2011

• Support local Coordinators/Maps: - link national and local strategic frameworks & objectives. - to encourage local Community Planning Partnerships to identify Violence Against Women as a local priority.• Engage with National/local government and key organisations.• Liaise with training consortia • Work with partners to encourage Multi-Agency responses

National Coordinators

NetworkMap Coordinators

Multi-agency Partnerships

Training Consortia

National OrganisationsScottish Women’s Aid, Rape Crisis Scotland,

Zero Tolerance,

ENGAGING & BUILDING LINKSSCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

VAW Team, Violence Reduction Unit, Community Safety

National CYP NetworkForced Marriage Network

Scottish Human Trafficking Stakeholders

group

National Group to Address VAW

ACPOSNHS Gender Based Violence

Local Voluntary Organisations

Girfec PathfindersCedar, Maracs

Women’s Support ProjectTARA, Engender

National Network Coordinator

• Strengthen links between local Maps, Scottish

Government & other relevant groups

• Work with local Coordinators/MAPs to build capacity

of CPPs/agencies to embed VAW

• Coordinate National Network responses.

• VAW : wide agenda • Setting VAW as priority within local areas• VAW Hidden • Engage effectively with all sectors• Raising awareness < > capacity to meet needs?• Uncertain funding

Challenges

The Way Forward

• Make the links across VAW• Learn from Domestic Abuse• Integrate VAW across organisations • Integrate VAW across communities • Build capacity• Local Maps/Training Consortia dedicated VAW posts• Learn from each other / share expertise • Share resources• Secure funding

Violence against women and girls continues unabated in every continent, country and culture. It takes a devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families and on society as a whole. Most societies prohibit such violence – yet the reality is that too often, it is covered up or tacitly condoned……………

Let us remember: there is no blanket approach to fighting violence against women. What works in one country may not lead to desired results in another. Each nation must devise its own strategy………..

…….But there is one universal truth, applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable.

(United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Feb 2008)

Thank you for listening

Any Questions