This year the Church of Scotland is partnering with Restored in its participation of the United Nations 16 days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Restored is a faith based, charitable organisation, supporting victims and survivors of domestic abuse.
Every year, starting with the United Nations ‘International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women’ and finishing on ‘Human Rights Day’ organisations, churches and people around the world take a stand to raise awareness, and call for the end of inequality and injustice towards women and girls, quietly and not so quietly. This year it starts on 25th November, lasting for 16 days, finishes on 10th December.
Why is this necessary?
Globally, every 11 minutes, a woman or girl dies at the hands of an intimate partner or family member. This isn’t exclusive to developing countries or countries with an extreme ruling authority. Here in Scotland in 2022-23 the police recorded 61,934 incidents of domestic abuse, of which 81% had a female victim with a male perpetrator and 16% had a male victim with a female perpetrator and 3% being of the same sex.
Fife has the 5th highest number of incidents recorded per 10,000 of population.
We know such incidents are significantly under reported.
Across the UK on average 3 women die each week at the hands of someone they know. Not only that, on average, each week, 3 women take their own lives because they see no way out of their abusive relationship.
This is the reality of domestic abuse.
At St Fillan’s, Aberdour (part of Fife: Forthview Parish Church) we are standing for those who cannot be here.
