16 Days of Action is an annual international campaign to raise awareness about gender-based violence. Gender based violence is any act of violence that is directed at a person because of their gender, or that affects people of a particular gender disproportionately. GBV can include:
– Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Female genital mutilation, Stalking, Forced marriage, Honor based abuse, and Commercial sexual exploitation
There were 2,433 incidents of domestic abuse recorded to Police Scotland in West Lothian in 2023/24.
1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, and 1 in 5 children will be exposed to domestic abuse.
Over half of children in West Lothian whose names have been placed on the Child Protection Register have been assessed as being at risk of domestic abuse.
Every year, partners of the Gender Based Violence Committee looks to engage West Lothian in the annual 16 days of action campaign to raise awareness about gender-based violence, and challenge it.
You are invited to join in the local campaign and work towards reducing and changing these statistics so that West Lothian is a safer place for everyone to live.
A march and rally will take place on the first day of the campaign, Monday 25th November. The march will start at West Lothian College at 10am before finishing outside West Lothian Civic Centre where you will get to hear important messages from individuals involved in the campaign.
For more information on activity throughout the campaign, and to sign up to training opportunities, please visit 16 Days of Activism Calendar of Events – Health & Social Care Partnership (westlothianhscp.org.uk)
