16 Days of Activism - online briefing events
16 Days of Activism is a global campaign to raise awareness about violence against women and girls. 
It runs from 25 November, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls, to 10 December, which is Human Rights Day. These dates were specifically chosen to emphasise that VAWG is a violation of human rights.
Upcoming events
Why do we need to reframe masculinity?
Gender norms place expectations on men and boys to meet unhealthy and impossible standards of masculinity, which are linked to their experiences of mental health problems, disproportionate suicide rates, drug-related deaths and risk of violence. Research with young boys is finding that many young people are struggling to define what it means to be a ‘positive’ male.
David Russell, Development Lead with Thriving Survivors will speak about the current perceptions of masculinity, links to the ‘Incel’ sub-culture and messages society gives boys and young men. This input will outline what needs to be done to tackle widespread misogyny in current UK culture and the importance of reframing masculinity in tackling violence against women and children.
Learning Review - the case of Ms L.
Learning from cases where children and adults have been significantly harmed, put at risk of harm or have died is a vital part of an effective and improving system to protect children and adults. Reflecting on learning helps us identify good practice in protection work, and the improvements needed to help protect children and adults in the future.
This briefing will focus on the findings from the Ms L Significant Case Review commissioned by the Dundee Adult Support and Protection Committee and published in November 2023. Ms L was a woman who moved to Scotland from England in an attempt to leave an abusive relationship. Ms L had a complex history of domestic abuse, homelessness, substance use, mental health issues, chronic physical health issues and isolation from family/friends. We will consider the findings from the review as well as the implications for practice from local reviews.
Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Join our online briefing event to hear Linda Thompson, National Co-ordinator, Women’s Support Project talk about Commercial Sexual Exploitation – learn more about what it is, how people are impacted from it and why it is a form of violence against women and girls.
Online Briefing Marac
Marac (Multi-agency Risk Assessment Conference) meetings address high risk cases of domestic abuse. In this briefing Jayne Duncan, Marac Co-ordinator will tell you how they operate in East Lothian and Midlothian - who is involved, how risk assessments are carried out and safety plans are developed at the meeting.