Stirling Council is reiterating its support for local efforts to challenge gender based violence as the 16 Days of Activism campaign begins on Saturday to coincide with International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
A launch event for the regional 16 Days campaign is being held at Forth Valley College, Stirling Campus, on Monday 27 November, where representatives from Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Councils will speak about how progress can be made locally.
'Still a lot of work to do'
Community Wellbeing and Housing Convener, Cllr Gerry McGarvey said: “Vital work from partners across Stirling, Forth Valley and Scotland continues to make progress towards creating an equally safe society where women and girls do not face an increased risk of violence.
“However, there is still a lot of work to do until we reach the point where we can eliminate violence against women and girls. It’s incumbent on all of us to step to challenge gender based violence and force long term behavioural and cultural change.”
Stirling Council recently reiterated its commitment to support the White Ribbon Scotland Campaign – which encourages men to take a leading role in combating gender based violence – with the launch of an innovative campaign in nightlife settings.
Stirling Council’s White Ribbon Champion, Cllr Martin Earl said: “The 16 Days of Activism campaign is an annual opportunity for us to focus minds on the progress made in the fight against gender based violence and the work that still needs to be done to remove this blight on our society.
“Tackling gender based violence starts with standing up to casual sexism as and when it appears, and we all have a responsibility to call it out. If you notice a friend or family member behave in a way which can be viewed as misogynistic, take it upon yourself to sensitively challenge them. Difficult interactions are how we begin to reshape our culture and stamp out gender based violence.”
A programme of events being held in the local area is available to view on the Stirling Council website.