On 10 March, Stirling hosted Scotland’s White Ribbon march, organised by men taking action against violence against women. The event was sponsored by Stirling Council and supported by Amnesty International. It was also supported by the local police force, so it was the first march I have been on where the police were simultaneously policing and marching (openly at least!).
Perhaps this will be repeated in the coming months when the police try to gain our support against cuts to their numbers?
We were addressed afterwards by a police representative who spoke seriously and with particular reference to the abhorrent increase in domestic violence reported after football matches in Scotland, including the last “Old Firm” game between Glasgow Rangers and Celtic which itself resulted in violence on the field.
There was some agreement that violence against women has a Scottish dimension which cannot be tolerated. Though “organised” by men, the majority of the marchers, who carried a symbolic white ribbon, were women and girls. More optimistically, it was great to see a preponderance of youthfulness amongst the men who participated.
Topics: Women
See more of: Scotland