My speech [from 1:31.54] to Parliament yesterday on the Violence Against Women debate highlighting the work of the Daisy Project in Castlemilk. *** Violence against women is wrong in any circumstances. It is clear that we all agree with that. It physically hurts those who are attacked, but often the psychological scars that it leaves are even worse. In many cases, the worst kind of violence is domestic violence. Members should just think how awful it must be to worry about what will set him off tonight—it is almost always a him, despite some of the emails that we have received—and to wonder whether he is drunk, has had a bad day or is just in the mood to take it out on his partner. What way is that for anyone to live? That is why I want to talk about the Daisy Project, in my constituency. The project was formerly known as the Domestic Abuse Project or DAP. It is one of the many great groups across the country that do invaluable work to support women and families who have been affected by domestic violence. The Daisy Project recognises that domestic violence does not happen in a vacuum and that it can have long-term and wide-ranging impacts. It knows that there is no one-size-fits-all solution and that each family has different needs. It is based in Castlemilk and it is easily accessible to people who require assistance. Over the past three years it has helped 300 people in the south side of Glasgow to address issues of domestic abuse. Services include one-to-one support, small-cell group work, personal development, training, access to services and agency assistance. The project also set up the self-help group Women against Violent Environments—WAVES—which is led by the extraordinary Bessie Anderson. WAVES empowers women to address issues, including domestic abuse, to overcome the drawbacks of poverty, including the less-talked-about aspects of isolation and self-esteem, and to regain control of their lives. WAVES is supported in its aims by local housing associations and nurseries, which act sensitively when issues of gender-based violence are raised and try to do what they can to ensure that the women and children are housed and educated appropriately. I feel privileged when I get the opportunity to meet and support such organisations, but the truth is that I wish I did not have to. I have seen how difficult life can be for families and I wish that they had never had to go through such experiences. I have heard about kids becoming withdrawn and about how long it can take to get them to come out of their shells, and I have seen how so often the male perpetrator’s behaviour can leave a family near financial destitution, with all the problems that that brings. Every year I run a Christmas toy appeal in my constituency. People are invariably responsive, generous and kind. The toys are passed on to local churches and groups in the constituency, including WAVES. It broke my heart when I was told that for some of the kids their present will be the only substantial one that they get over the festive period—not because their mum does not love them but because of the mayhem that violence against a woman creates. That sobering fact is behind my whole-hearted support for the Government’s violence against women strategy, “Equally Safe”, which was published in June. Lily Greenan, manager of Scottish Women’s Aid, said: “The publication of Equally Safe is a significant step towards addressing and preventing that violence.” The strategy was also welcomed by the police, the Solicitor General for Scotland and local and national bodies, including ASSIST. We know that violence against women is, at heart, an issue of power. It is accepted that one of the primary causes of domestic abuse and one of the biggest barriers to tackling it is persistent and consistent gender inequality between men and women, which we all have a responsibility to address. I was pleased with the message that the First Minister sent out when we ended up with Scotland’s first 50:50 Cabinet. Ban Ki-moon said: “there is one universal truth, applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable.” It is clear that, across the chamber, we agree with that universal truth, and there is considerable political and civic will in Scotland for domestic violence to become an issue of the past. However, until it is—I hope that that day will come soon—I thank goodness that we have such important organisations as the Daisy Project and WAVES to assist the victims of that insidious crime.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 11:28:53 +0000
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