Violence against women

Violence Against Women Strategic Group (VAWSG) 

The first muti-agency partnership to tackle violence against women in North Lanarkshire was established in 1998 and focused mainly on domestic abuse. To work in line with national developments this was widened to cover the whole spectrum of violence against women in 2009. 

 The VAWSG compromises of a wide range of statutory and third sector organisations including: 

• North Lanarkshire Council (Housing, Social Work and Education) 
• Police Scotland 
• NHS Lanarkshire 
• North Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership 
• North Lanarkshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership 
• Scottish Children’s Reporters Administration 
• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscals Service 
• Monklands Women’s Aid 
• Motherwell and District Women’s Aid 
• Cumbernauld and District Women’s Aid 
• Aura Services 
• Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre  
• ASSIST 

Equally Safe: Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls was refreshed in 2023. The strategy is co-authored by COSLA and Scottish Government and lays out a vision of “A strong and flourishing Scotland where all individuals are equally safe and respected, and where women and girls live free from all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation — and the attitudes that help perpetuate it”. 

The strategy highlights that the continuum of violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a cause of gender inequality and harms all of us. It occurs in every community in Scotland and is often overlooked, minimised or accepted as the norm. 

The phrase violence against women and girls is used to describe violent and abusive behaviour directed at women and girls because they are women and girls. It is behaviour which is carried out predominantly by men and includes: 

• physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, and financial abuse occurring in the family, within the general community, and in institutions in both physical and digital spaces and places 
• domestic abuse/coercive controlling behaviours, stalking, rape, incest, sexual harassment, bullying, and intimidation 
• commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), including prostitution, lap dancing, stripping, pornography 
• human trafficking, including for the purposes of domestic servitude, sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation, which may include gangs and organised criminal networks 
• child abuse occurring within family settings, including domestic abuse, and sexual abuse by male family members including siblings 
• child sexual abuse and exploitation including the production and sharing of indecent images of children 
• honour-based abuse, including forced marriages, female genital mutilation (FGM), dowry abuse and ‘honour based’ coercive control and killings. 

 You can find Equally Safe here 

We have produced our Strategic Plan for 2022-2025. This plan is primarily about identifying key issues and themes in relation to violence against women and outlines the actions we have agreed  collectively to tackle them.  

 VAWStrategy&ActioPlan(20222025)(Version2).pdf 

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Rape and sexual violence can be far more common than you think. They are acts which take place without someone’s consent and can include flashing and voyeurism to sexual assault and rape.  

 In most cases rape and sexual assault are carried out by someone known to the victim. This could be a partner or ex/partner, family friend, colleague, neighbour etc.  

 What help is there? 

 Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre 

 Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre provide services across both North and South Lanarkshire. This service delivers emotional, practical and justice advocacy support to women and girls (12year+) who have been subject to any form of sexual violence no matter how long ago it happened.  

 To find out more about their services follow this link lanrcc.org.uk or call 01698 527003. 

 Sexual Assault Response Co-ordination Service 

NHS Scotland sexual assault self-referral phone service can help to arrange care for you in the days following a rape or sexual assault. The service may be able to arrange for you to have a forensic medical examination (FME) at a SARCS without making a report to the police. You can find out more about this service at nhsinform.scot/sarcs 

 Rape Crisis Scotland Helpline 

The helpline is available everyday between 5pm – midnight. You can contact the helpline in a variety of ways which are: 

 Call: 08088 01 03 02 

Text: 07537 410 027 

Email: support@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk  

Webchat: www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk 

Commercial Sexual Exploitation can include, but is not limited to: prostitution, lap dancing, stripping, pornography, human trafficking and sex for rent. No one should be forced into sexual activity without consent.  

Where to get help? 

The Encompass Network 

Encompass is a Scottish network of agencies working with people at risk of becoming involved in, who are currently involved in, or who have exited selling or exchanging sexual activity / commercial sexual exploitation (CSE). 

You can contact the Encompass Network using this email address,   Enquiries@encompassnetwork.org.uk  

TARA – Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance 

TARA support women, aged 18 years and over, who have been trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation.  

You can contact TARA by calling 0141 276 7724  

Stalking is a form of abuse that is often misunderstood and minimised. It can often be thought that stalkers are strangers. However, the reality is that a majority of stalkers are, in fact, known to the victim.  They can be a partner or ex-partner, a family member or a neighbour.  

There are many ways stalking can be carried out including: 

Having your phone calls, social media or email monitored. 

• Being followed. 
• Loitering in a public or private place.  
• Sending you unwanted letters, text messages or gifts. 
• Entering your home when you are away. 
• Using recording devices like cameras to follow your movements. 
• Hacking your online accounts (social media, email, banking etc) 
• Sending you threats through your social media, email or mail. 

This list is only some examples and there are likely to be more behaviours used by stalkers. You can use this quiz to find out if you are being stalked. 

Where to find help?  

Suzy Lamplugh Trust Stalking Helpline – 0808 802 0300 

Police Scotland have information about stalking, advice for victims and how you can report unwanted behaviour on their website.  

The Scottish Women’s Rights Centre also has useful information on their website about reporting stalking to the police. They also have information on the Followitapp The app is designed to help victim/ survivors of stalking record what’s happening to them. Created with victim/ survivors of stalking the app lets you keep a log of stalking incidents. The app is tailored to Scots law but can be used regardless of whether or not you decide to report to the police. 

If you are being stalked by a partner or an ex-partner Women’s Aid organisation in North Lanarkshire and Aura Services offer support please see the Domestic Abuse Section 

Harmful traditional practices are forms of violence which have been committed primarily against women and girls in certain communities and societies for so long that they are considered, or presented by perpetrators, as part of accepted cultural practice.

The most common are:  

• Forced or early marriage. 
• So-called “honour”- based abuse 
• Female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM) 

Forced or early marriage 

The Scottish Government defines forced marriage as “where one or both parties are coerced into the marriage against their will and under duress.” Duress includes both physical and emotional coercion, ranging from emotional pressure exerted on victims/ survivors by family members, to more extreme cases involving assault, being held captive, rape, and in some cases, the threat of murder. 

“Honour”- based abuse 

The term covers violence which is thought justified to protect or restore the “honour” of a family following “transgressions”; this justification may be advanced by perpetrator(s) without the knowledge of other family members. It can include physical abuse, bullying, sexual violence, abduction, forced marriage, and in its most extreme form murder. Some of the common ways in which honour is seen as damaged are: 

• Defying parental authority, including refusal to enter into a force marriage. 
• Women having, or suspected of having sex/ relationships before marriage. 
• Using drugs or alcohol or smoking.  

 Female Genital Mutilation 

Female genital mutilation is defined as all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs, whether for ritual, cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons. This is not a religious practice.  

Where to find help? 

Forced Marriage Unit  

The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) is a joint Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Home Office unit which leads on the government’s forced marriage policy, outreach and casework. It operates both inside the UK (where support is provided to any individual) and overseas (where consular assistance is provided to British nationals, including dual nationals). 

The FMU operates a public helpline to provide advice and support to: 

• victims and potential victims of forced marriage 
• professionals dealing with cases 

The FMU can be contacted by email fmu@fcdo.gov.uk or telephone 020 7008 0151 

fgmaware.org provides resources and information to help tackle FGM in Scotland 

Amina – The Muslim Women’s Resource Centre is an organisation that empowers and supports Muslim and BME women by serving as a vital link between them and the barriers they face every day. You can contact the Amina helpline on  0808 801 0301. 

Shakti Women’s Aid help minority ethnic women, children and young people who are experiencing, or who have experienced domestic abuse. Their experience of domestic abuse may include FGM, Forced Marriage and “honour” base abuse. You can contact them on 0131 475 2399 

 Hemat Gryffe Women’s Aid support women who experience abuse at the hands of their husbands, and/ or extended family.  You can contact them on 0141 353 0859 

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