Gender-based violence in Scotland encompasses a range of abusive behaviors, including domestic abuse, sexual assault, stalking, and harmful practices like female genital mutilation. It is defined as any form of violence used to establish or perpetuate gender inequalities, predominantly affecting women and girls.
“Violence against women and girls, in any form, has no place in our vision for a safe, strong, successful Scotland. It damages health and wellbeing, limits freedom and potential, and is a violation of the most fundamental human rights. The Scottish Government, CoSLA and key partners are committed to preventing and eradicating it once and for all.” – Scottish Government
Scotland’s approach to tackling gender-based violence is encapsulated in the “Equally Safe“ strategy, which aims to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls. This strategy emphasizes a primary prevention approach, focusing on addressing the underlying causes of gender inequality and promoting attitudinal change within communities.
‘Gender-based violence is a function of gender inequality, and an abuse of male power and privilege. It takes the form of actions that result in physical, sexual and psychological harm or suffering to women and children, or affront to their human dignity, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.’ – Equally Safe Orkney is fortunate to have a number of brilliant support services who are there to supports anyone who experiences domestic violence, gender based violence or violence against woman and girls. Safer Orkney Safer Orkney is a website run by the Orkney Partnership for Action Against Gender Based Violence and Abuse. The Partnership work at a local level as the key driver for multi-agency work to tackle violence against women and girls and gender based violence. Working alongside Equally Safe guidelines, they are responsible for bringing together all the key public sector and third sector organisations working to prevent and eradicate violence against individuals within Orkney. The partnership ensures that an effective and strategic approach is taken to progress the priorities set out in Equally Safe. This website is a fantastic site for keeping up to date on news from this partnership. There is also a section of Safer Orkney with a wealth of supports found locally and national. Women’s Aid Orkney Women’s Aid Orkney offer services to women, young people and children affected by domestic abuse both current and historic. They have dedicated services; for children and young people aged 3 – 16, working with women and their children to build and strengthen their relationships, for women aged 16-25, supporting women to rediscover their inner strength and recover form the harms of domestic abuse, offering secure self-contained accommodation in a refuge for women and children fleeing domestic abuse. Find out more on the Women’s Aid Orkney website. Orkney Rape and Sexual Assault Service (ORSAS) ORSAS supports anyone aged 13+ of any gender who has experienced rape or any other forms of sexual violence at any time in their life, in person or online. They also provide information and support to family, friends, partners and professionals supporting survivors and campaigns to improve services for survivors. They offers specialist sexual violence advocacy for people who are in their journey in the legal and court process and theirspecialist prevention worker delivers Rape Crisis Scotland’s National Prevention Programme to schools and youth settings. They also provide individually tailored prevention in their COMET+ project for care experienced children and children with learning difficulties. They can offer training on topics such as consent and child sexual exploitation, and also host an Equality Hub which holds exhibitions on diverse topics. The Hub is a Third Party Reporting Centre for Hate Crime and a Keep Safe space for assistance. For more information visit www.orsas.scot or contact them by email.
‘Gender-based violence is a function of gender inequality, and an abuse of male power and privilege. It takes the form of actions that result in physical, sexual and psychological harm or suffering to women and children, or affront to their human dignity, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.’ – Equally Safe
Orkney is fortunate to have a number of brilliant support services who are there to supports anyone who experiences domestic violence, gender based violence or violence against woman and girls.
Safer Orkney is a website run by the Orkney Partnership for Action Against Gender Based Violence and Abuse. The Partnership work at a local level as the key driver for multi-agency work to tackle violence against women and girls and gender based violence.
Working alongside Equally Safe guidelines, they are responsible for bringing together all the key public sector and third sector organisations working to prevent and eradicate violence against individuals within Orkney.
The partnership ensures that an effective and strategic approach is taken to progress the priorities set out in Equally Safe.
This website is a fantastic site for keeping up to date on news from this partnership. There is also a section of Safer Orkney with a wealth of supports found locally and national.
Women’s Aid Orkney offer services to women, young people and children affected by domestic abuse both current and historic.
They have dedicated services;
Find out more on the Women’s Aid Orkney website.
ORSAS supports anyone aged 13+ of any gender who has experienced rape or any other forms of sexual violence at any time in their life, in person or online. They also provide information and support to family, friends, partners and professionals supporting survivors and campaigns to improve services for survivors.
They offers specialist sexual violence advocacy for people who are in their journey in the legal and court process and theirspecialist prevention worker delivers Rape Crisis Scotland’s National Prevention Programme to schools and youth settings. They also provide individually tailored prevention in their COMET+ project for care experienced children and children with learning difficulties.
They can offer training on topics such as consent and child sexual exploitation, and also host an Equality Hub which holds exhibitions on diverse topics. The Hub is a Third Party Reporting Centre for Hate Crime and a Keep Safe space for assistance.
For more information visit www.orsas.scot or contact them by email.
During normal office hours Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm Contact Orkney Health and Care Children and Families Services on 01856 873535 extension 3342 or if the person is an adult call 01856 873535 and ask for Adult Social Work
This will take you to The Balfour Hospital switchboard then you ask for the Emergency Social Worker.
