Funding for fighting violence against women and girls
Organisations who work to tackle violence against women and girls are being invited to apply for a share of up to £13 million to help them develop and further their vital work over the next three years.
The Delivering Equally Safe Fund will support frontline organisations and projects that broaden access to support survivors. Priority areas of the fund include developing a person centred approach, supporting disabled survivors and working with those in remote or island communities.
The new funding will help drive collaboration and innovation towards challenging outdated attitudes and stereotypes, staging early interventions that maximise the safety and wellbeing of women, children and young people, holding perpetrators to account for their behaviour and choices, and advancing women’s equality.
Equalities Minister Christina McKelvie said: “The shocking and unacceptable rise in domestic abuse over the course of the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated that we still have further to go in our ambition to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.
“We have responded quickly to ensure that frontline services could adapt and continue to help people during this public health crisis, providing more than £5.5 million in additional funding.
“Over the last year we continued to prioritise implementation of our Equally Safe strategy in partnership with COSLA and key stakeholders.
“We have been strengthening the law for domestic abuse and sexual violence survivors and those at risk of Female Genital Mutilation, supporting services to redesign at pace during the Covid-19 pandemic to raise awareness and encourage victims to seek support.
“This new fund will build upon and strengthen our efforts in partnership with experts and local front line providers. It will help us to make a step change over the next three years in preventing and reducing all forms of violence against women and girls.”
