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International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women '21
This blog is dedicated to the women of the Survivor Reference Group who so powerfully shared their stories in the Scottish Parliament yesterday. Thank you for your courage and determination. Your belief in a better world is inspiring.
Today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and marks the start of 16 Days of Action. It’s been a year like no other, a year that feels as though it has both flown past and dragged and one where our collective resilience has been tested like never before.
It’s been a hard year for most of us, an impossible one for many, and whilst the impacts of Covid continue to be acutely felt the launch of yet another 16 Days of Action invites reflection.
It’s been a painful year for survivors of sexual violence and abuse. At times the public conversation has felt more like an onslaught with relentless coverage of violence and abuse. The tragic murders of Sabina Nessa, Sarah Everard and Esther Brown sparked nationwide conversations about women’s safety and our right to live free from the constant fear and threat of sexual violence. Survivors have spoken bravely and powerfully about their experiences and called for change.
Speaking Truth To Power - The Survivor Reference Group
A blog to mark the publication of the Survivor Reference Group Initial Report.
Last week we sat in a room in Glasgow and as sunshine poured in through the windows survivors delved into the details of where the justice system in Scotland had let them down. These conversations aren’t unusual for us at Rape Crisis Scotland – justice is one of our key priority areas – but what made this conversation out of the ordinary was that looking on and listening in were Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf and the Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC.
It was a meeting of power, though of very different kinds. Where the Justice Secretary and Lord Advocate have both a great deal of responsibility for justice in Scotland and power in terms of how this is – and is not – delivered, survivors were there to speak truth to it. In doing so with strength, courage and vulnerability, each of them showed the power of stories and of speaking out to effect change.
It can never be right that the process of seeking justice following sexual violence in Scotland is described by some as worse than the assault itself. We know that it is never going to be easy, but we also know it doesn’t have to be this hard.
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