Delivering Equally Safe

Equally Safe and Supported is a practical set of resources designed to support organisations to make their services accessible to women with learning disabilities who have experienced gender-based violence. Details of the event, and how to register will be available around mid-May in the Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities' e-Focus newsletter and social media channels. You can sign up to the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eTcS-mMw Meantime, please share with your colleagues and networks to help raise awareness. Delivering Equally Safe Inspiring Scotland First Minister's National Advisory Council on Women and Girls The Scottish Government Joyce Patton

More funding to improve lives for autistic people 📢 The Autistic Adult Support Fund is now open for applications for a new phase of funding which will run for 2.5 years from October 2025 to March 2028. This Scottish Government funding is available to third sector organisations providing services to autistic adults – promoting wellbeing and helping them to understand what neurodivergence means for them. A total of £2.5 million is available and organisations can apply for grants of between £40,000 and £200,000 per year. Deadline for applications is 21 May 2025. Find out more and how to apply 👇 https://lnkd.in/g6qJbFc3

👉 ”It is absolutely critical that we bust the myth that adults are simply ‘incapable’ of better understanding young people’s experiences online.” This week, it seems everyone has been watching Adolescence on Netflix. The four-part series follows 14-year-old Jamie, who is accused of killing his classmate Katie. In the aftermath of the murder, as we watch the investigation unfold, we try to grasp the roots of Jamie’s violence, and learn that he has been deeply impacted by harmful misogynistic messages online. The programme’s creators, Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, are asking us to pay attention to a real, growing problem. Anyone who has watched the series this week will no doubt be reflecting (and indeed maybe panicking) about what we can all do to support the children and young people in our lives. It is worth thinking about some key messages from the story, and focusing on how we might turn what might feel like somewhat of an overwhelm of grief and/or panic into positive action. At CyberSafe Scotland, we are privileged to be able to focus on responding effectively to the impact of online abuse and online gender based violence, with support from the The Scottish Government and Inspiring Scotland. We have the honour of supporting children and young people from vulnerable backgrounds with their experiences, and using the understandings gained to support families everywhere. Through this vital blog from, our project worker Katrina Murray shares how: 1. Adolescence does a great job of highlighting the issue of a growing gap in understanding between young people and adults when it comes to our online lives. 2. Adolescence calls us to reflect on how we can support boys’ self-esteem. 3. We must also lend focus to girls’ experiences and how we can support them. And how we can all respond without fear to support the young people around us. #adolescence #cybersafescot #violenceprevention #supportingfamilies #childrensrights https://lnkd.in/ewpwvS2g

🔒 Cyber Scotland Week 2025: 24 February - 2 March  More than one in six women in Scotland has experienced online violence. We live in a digital world. Whether it is social media, internet at work and/or for leisure, many of us now move seamlessly between being offline and online. While this has brought benefits in our ability to connect and engage with each other, the speed and complexity of technological change and the range of digital tools available provides new challenges. The technology to directly abuse, track, monitor covertly, or propagate abusive content, including with advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI generated images and videos (often known as ‘deep fakes’) is now widely accessible and available.  Advances in communication technology and the emergence of new digital platforms make it more difficult to proactively tackle VAWG. Of increasing concern are the so-called “influencers” and the group of men referred to as “incels” (involuntary celibates) who now populate parts of the internet, sharing misogynistic attitudes about women, and advice on how to manipulate, coerce, exploit, abuse, and take violent action against women.  As a consequence of this women and girls do not have access to their right to free speech as they are forced to change their behaviour, self-censor or remove themselves from the platform altogether because of harmful content and their concerns not being adequately addressed. This CyberScotland Week, we’re shining a light on two specialist organisations funded through the Delivering Equally Safe fund that are making a real impact in tackling online gender based violence. 📢 SWGfL is a leading online safety charity that has been at the forefront of the online safety landscape for 24 years. Their work includes the Revenge Porn Helpline, which provides practical support to people affected by intimate image abuse—helping to remove images from online platforms and offering signposting for emotional support. Through funded activity in Scotland, they are also working to raise awareness and ensure that those impacted know where to turn for help. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/efBVDkvP 👩💻 CyberSafe Scotland are specialists in online child protection, working with schools, parents, and local authorities to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Their expertise supports education and awareness-raising efforts to help create a safer digital world for young people. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eEcaFmGH 

🔒 Cyber Scotland Week 2025: 24 February - 2 March  More than one in six women in Scotland has experienced online violence. We live in a digital world. Whether it is social media, internet at work and/or for leisure, many of us now move seamlessly between being offline and online. While this has brought benefits in our ability to connect and engage with each other, the speed and complexity of technological change and the range of digital tools available provides new challenges. The technology to directly abuse, track, monitor covertly, or propagate abusive content, including with advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI generated images and videos (often known as ‘deep fakes’) is now widely accessible and available.  Advances in communication technology and the emergence of new digital platforms make it more difficult to proactively tackle VAWG. Of increasing concern are the so-called “influencers” and the group of men referred to as “incels” (involuntary celibates) who now populate parts of the internet, sharing misogynistic attitudes about women, and advice on how to manipulate, coerce, exploit, abuse, and take violent action against women.  As a consequence of this women and girls do not have access to their right to free speech as they are forced to change their behaviour, self-censor or remove themselves from the platform altogether because of harmful content and their concerns not being adequately addressed. This CyberScotland Week, we’re shining a light on two specialist organisations funded through the Delivering Equally Safe fund that are making a real impact in tackling online gender based violence. 📢 SWGfL is a leading online safety charity that has been at the forefront of the online safety landscape for 24 years. Their work includes the Revenge Porn Helpline, which provides practical support to people affected by intimate image abuse—helping to remove images from online platforms and offering signposting for emotional support. Through funded activity in Scotland, they are also working to raise awareness and ensure that those impacted know where to turn for help. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/efBVDkvP 👩💻 CyberSafe Scotland are specialists in online child protection, working with schools, parents, and local authorities to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Their expertise supports education and awareness-raising efforts to help create a safer digital world for young people. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eEcaFmGH 

📢 Research Resource: Gender-Based Violence Publications in Scotland For those working to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, having access to the latest research is crucial. The University of Glasgow Gender-Based Violence Research Forum has compiled a comprehensive list of publications related to Scotland, offering valuable insights into policy, practice, and lived experiences. We know that evidence-based approaches are key to tackling violence against women and girls. This resource is a valuable tool for funders, policymakers, and frontline organisations working to drive meaningful change. 📚 If you're involved in this work, we encourage you to take a look and share widely. https://lnkd.in/e43T-sib

The Istanbul Convention is a legally binding international treaty aimed at preventing and combating violence against women and girls (VAWG). For organisations in this sector, it provides a framework for advocating for stronger protections, services, and policies. It requires governments to adopt comprehensive measures in areas such as prevention, support for victims, and prosecution of offenders. In January 2024, the independent Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) conducted a country visit to the UK. During this visit, GREVIO met with both public and third-sector representatives to explore the progress and challenges related to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in Scotland. The Scottish Government has now received a draft evaluation report, assessing the implementation of the Istanbul Convention within the UK, alongside valuable recommendations for improvement. This report will be discussed further in a meeting with the Committee of the Parties in March, with a final report set to be adopted and published online. 📑 You can find out more about work underway in Scotland to eradicate violence against women and girls by reading the latest Delivering Equally Safe fund report: https://lnkd.in/eBU5bnbZ 📺 Want to learn more about the Istanbul Convention? Watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/eHdegt4s

We are pleased to share that Equalities Minister, Kaukab Stewart has announced a £2.4 million funding uplift for over 100 organisations supported by Delivering Equally Safe. The funding boost will bring the total Scottish Government investment in Delivering Equally Safe up to £21.6 million for 2025/26. The announcement was made during Ms. Stewart’s visit to SAY Women, where she met with staff and learned about their invaluable work supporting young women who have experienced sexual abuse and violence and are either homeless or at risk of homelessness. Ms Stewart said “Grassroots organisations across Scotland are at the heart of tackling violence against women and girls. Their work is fundamental to creating a country free from gender-based abuse. This funding boost will support these organisations, will help prevent abuse occurring and ensure that women and girls who have experienced violence can continue to access the support they deserve.” The DES team would like to thank the staff at SAY Women for hosting the visit and sharing the impact that they make on the lives of young women. 

Aberlour’s Urgent Assistance Fund can provide cash grants to help families with children (aged 21 and under) who are suffering extreme hardship. To learn more or apply, visit: https://lnkd.in/gNMJYxap

Today was a milestone for us, as Hillhead Housing Association Limited completed their final session of our Responding to Economic Abuse training. They become the first housing officers in Scotland to receive training to better understand and support women experiencing economic abuse. As their final session fell on day three of the #16Days, we asked each participant to make a personal pledge to tackle economic abuse within their community. They said: 💜 "I will be more confident in asking people I am worried about if they are experiencing financial abuse" 💜 "I will be more aware of the red flags/signs of economical abuse and keep up to date with the correct people to make referrals to" 💜 "I will support and be informative, with a friendly face" If you'd like to organise training for your team, get in touch via the details in this post. #16DaysOfAction #16DaysOfActivism #EconomicAbuse #RaiseAwareness