Safer Lives: Changed Lives Conference National Coordinators Network to Address Violence Against Women Gail Cook Karen Macmillan

Background Sole Workers, Support Information Sharing Limitations Self organised group No formal remit or recognition No formal communication system with Scottish Government

Role of the Network Scottish Government Funding : Coordinator March 2011 Support local Coordinators/Maps: - link national and local strategic frameworks & objectives. - to encourage local Community Planning Partnerships to identify Violence Against Women as a local priority. Engage with National/local government and key organisations. Liaise with training consortia Work with partners to encourage Multi-Agency responses

National Coordinators Network Map Coordinators Multi-agency Partnerships Training Consortia National Organisations Scottish Women’s Aid, Rape Crisis Scotland, Zero Tolerance, ENGAGING & BUILDING LINKS SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT VAW Team, Violence Reduction Unit, Community Safety National CYP Network Forced Marriage Network Scottish Human Trafficking Stakeholders group National Group to Address VAW ACPOS NHS Gender Based Violence Local Voluntary Organisations Girfec Pathfinders Cedar, Maracs Women’s Support Project TARA, Engender

National Network Coordinator Strengthen links between local Maps, Scottish Government & other relevant groups Work with local Coordinators/MAPs to build capacity of CPPs/agencies to embed VAW Coordinate National Network responses.

VAW : wide agenda Setting VAW as priority within local areas VAW Hidden Engage effectively with all sectors Raising awareness capacity to meet needs? Uncertain funding Challenges

The Way Forward Make the links across VAW Learn from Domestic Abuse Integrate VAW across organisations Integrate VAW across communities Build capacity Local Maps/Training Consortia dedicated VAW posts Learn from each other / share expertise Share resources Secure funding

Violence against women and girls continues unabated in every continent, country and culture. It takes a devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families and on society as a whole. Most societies prohibit such violence – yet the reality is that too often, it is covered up or tacitly condoned…………… Let us remember: there is no blanket approach to fighting violence against women. What works in one country may not lead to desired results in another. Each nation must devise its own strategy……….. …….But there is one universal truth, applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable. (United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Feb 2008)

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