**Content Advice: this email discusses gender based violence and sexual assault**
Dear colleagues,
Tomorrow is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Tomorrow also marks the start of the 32nd 16 Days of Activism campaign - the annual global effort calling for the elimination of gender-based violence (GBV).
GBV can be targeted towards anyone, of any gender identity, but violence targeted against women and girls is a significant threat.
- 1 in 3 women have, or will, experience physical or sexual violence
- 95% of people trafficked for sexual exploitation in Europe are female
- A woman is killed every three days in the UK by a partner or ex-partner
- In 2021-22, 64,807 domestic abuse incidents were recorded by Police Scotland. In 81% of the cases a woman was abused by a man
As a University we still have much more to do in order to fully support our staff and students who have been impacted GBV, especially women and girls. We are committed to this journey of learning and work hard to continually review and update our approaches in this area. We want to ensure that all members of our staff and student body can work, learn, and live in a safe environment.
Over the past four years, the University has worked with EmilyTest, the Scottish charity founded by Fiona Drouet MBE, which works to support victims/survivors in the Education sector, and combat GBV more widely in Society. In the last 18 months we have been working to submit our application to the EmilyTest Charter. We wanted to apply for the Charter as it helped us to progress our strategic approach to tackling GBV in the University. We have also started offering frontline risk assessment training with EmilyTest called LISTEN, and are excited to support them in developing this as a train-the-trainer model to the rest of the sector. More details on the training open to staff and students about GBV is on our website.
We have recently launched our updated Code of Practice on Student Discipline (non-academic) which includes specific references to GBV where it is perpetrated by a student and we have created new guides for victims/survivors explaining both the support available to them, and the processes for reporting instances of GBV regardless of who the perpetrator is. This information, and access to our online reporting tool, are on our website.
On Sunday, you will be able to listen to Sunday Worship, on BBC Radio 4 at 8:10am This special recording took place at King’s College Chapel and draws inspiration from this year’s 16 Days of Activism campaign. It features our University Chaplain, Marylee Anderson, and the King College Chapel Choir.
Over the coming 16 days we will provide information on a range of topics explaining more about what GBV is and the role we can all play in helping to combat and prevent GBV on our campus and support those who are victims/survivors of abuse. Look out for this content on our social media feeds, e-zines, on our website and through our pop-up events taking place across our Aberdeen campuses.
We will be exploring the critical role men have in stopping GBV and in tackling GBV with their friends; what coercive control is and how to spot the signs; and formal reporting mechanisms to the Police. This in itself may cause some of our staff and students to seek support and discuss situations from their own lives. We want to remind you that support is available for staff and students who need it. This includes information on ways you can report incidents (regardless of who has perpetrated them) to the University and Police; details of local services supporting victims of GBV; a reminder of internal support services, like our Counselling service and Advice teams; and more details on what GBV is and how to spot the signs.
Each year, 16 Days gives us a chance to continue the conversation on our approaches to combatting and addressing GBV in our University community and to keep revisiting our programme of work and commitment to this issue.
Best wishes
Ruth & Nick
Professor Ruth Taylor
Vice-Principal Education, Chair of EDIC
Nick Edwards
Deputy Director of People and Chair, Addressing GBV and Sexual Harrassment Strategy Group