Chamber and committees

Today’s debate has been an important opportunity to discuss one of the most serious issues in society: violence against women in all its forms. I agree that the debate has been largely consensual. It has been significant in allowing us to reflect on the evolving nature of such abuse as a result of digital tools. From coercive control via devices to online stalking, cases of technology-facilitated sexual harassment and abuse are on the rise. It is important that we prevent and tackle the use of those new tools and approaches, so I echo the cabinet secretary’s call for tech platforms to act to address violence against women and girls.

Only together can we make progress. The theme of the campaign that we have been talking about is unite. That means that everyone, including Governments, local authorities, stakeholders and individuals—women, girls, men and boys—needs to unite, because only by coming together can we deliver a safe online environment that women and girls can use and enjoy positively, without fear of and threat from others.

I will offer some reflections of my own, and then I will try to pick up as many of the points that have been raised as possible, although there have been far too many for me to name individuals.

When reflecting on online harms, I cannot reiterate enough that collective action is required. That brings to mind discussions that took place in the Parliament a year ago. Back then, we focused on how to empower young people’s voices. I am also reminded that technology-facilitated violence against women and girls was one of the issues that was raised in the Scottish Youth Parliament debate a year ago. It is imperative that young people, to whom the use of technology is second nature, inform the actions that we need to take to make technology safer. It is vital that young people shape our approach, which is why we are co-creating with young people the public awareness campaign that the cabinet secretary mentioned.

I remain thoughtful of the representation of the Scottish Youth Parliament on the joint strategic board that helps with the delivery of our equally safe strategy, which is chaired jointly by the Scottish Government and COSLA. The voices of that Parliament remain essential to ensuring that our collective efforts reflect the needs and aspirations of young people.

It is equally vital that we understand that online abuse is connected to other forms of violence against women. The victim or survivor who experiences technology-facilitated coercive control, sexual harassment or stalking will also experience those things in the physical world. We move between digital and physical spaces seamlessly, and harm that is committed online is felt in the real world, so it is important that we do not invent some artificial divide between the two.

I am afraid that I do not have those figures to hand, but I will take the opportunity to reiterate that the article in The Herald misleadingly suggests that 1,200 women were subjected to FGM in Glasgow. That figure represents those who received treatment for FGM in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde between 2019 and June 2025. FGM is illegal in this country, so it is highly possible that the procedure was performed overseas.

Female genital mutilation—FGM—is an abhorrent practice and it has been illegal in Scotland since 1985. The figure stated in The Herald does not represent the number of women who have been subjected to FGM in Glasgow; it reflects the number of women with FGM who have received treatment in the area.

Such figures show that FGM remains a concerning reality for many women and girls in Scotland. I am glad that medical professionals recognised the symptoms or that the women have had the confidence to come forward and seek the medical attention that they need. We continue to work closely with stakeholders to implement the Female Genital Mutilation (Protection and Guidance) (Scotland) Act 2020. That will strengthen the existing legislative framework to offer extra protection to women and girls who are at risk of FGM.

I thank Annie Wells for that important question and for giving me the opportunity to reiterate my concern and agreement that we are talking about women and girls, not statistics.

I stress that the Government is resolute in its commitment to implementing the 2020 act. Successful implementation requires co-ordinated action from multiple stakeholders, including local authorities, health boards, justice agencies and specialist services. Those organisations need time to develop processes, train their staff and ensure that the resources are in place to meet their statutory duties. We are working closely with those partners to provide guidance and support, so that implementation is effective and sustainable.

Although I want the act to be implemented as soon as possible, we have to implement it in a way that is sustainable and that ensures that it can deliver protections for women and girls without placing unmanageable pressure on those who are responsible for delivering those protections.

I join my colleagues on the Government benches in stressing that the Government is resolute in its commitment to implementing the 2020 act. As I said, it requires a co-ordinated approach, and we are on track with the timeline that we set earlier this year. The first draft of the statutory guidance has been completed, civil court rule proposals have been submitted to the Scottish Civil Justice Council and we continue to work with stakeholders on all aspects of the implementation. I want to make sure that we can deliver the protections to women and girls that members have mentioned, and in the way that was intended, but without placing unmanageable pressure on those who are responsible.

If that data is available, I will be happy to do that.

Violence against women in the digital and physical worlds is a cause and a consequence of a gender inequality that is driven by societal and structural barriers across different sectors, many of which have been mentioned today. We must therefore renew our efforts to tackle that root cause. In the light of that, I was delighted that the cabinet secretary was able to highlight the public awareness campaign that we are developing to address the issue. It is significant that the Government is seeking to address online abuse and is using its online platforms to promote its positive messages.

I will come back to spiking after I reflect on the contributions that have been made by colleagues in the chamber.

I can confirm to Katy Clark our support for the proposals from Rape Crisis Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates that will deliver free access to independent legal advice to complainers in cases of rape and attempted rape. When it is desired, a three-year pilot will provide access to an experienced court practitioner who will assist complainers in giving their evidence and better understanding their existing rights. That pilot will be delivered by the expert Emma Ritch law clinic at the University of Glasgow.

Maggie Chapman called for us all to be mindful of, and to reflect on, our own behaviours when we use social media platforms, because we are providing leadership in how we treat each other. We must and should do better.

Alex Cole-Hamilton asked for an update on tackling domestic abuse. The Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 will put victims and witnesses at the heart of a modern and fair society. We are engaging with justice bodies and stakeholders across the sector on the implementation of the act, and it will be phased in to deliver reform in a managed way that does not disrupt the operation of the system.

Siobhian Brown has written to all members today with an update on spiking, which I hope is helpful.

Michelle Thomson raised many points that were raised in the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland report, which is referenced in the equally safe strategy. Work is on-going to engage men and boys, and, as was mentioned earlier, the Scottish Government is undertaking a co-created campaign to ensure that men and boys are seen more as being integral to the solution than as being just part of the problem.

The Scottish Government will support the Scottish Women’s Aid #ForThemAll vigil on 5 December, which is held annually in honour of women and children who have been killed by abusive men as well as women who have lost their lives to suicide that stemmed from their experiences of abuse. I know that my colleagues in the Cabinet and across the chamber will attend many events to highlight that important time and to hold those women and girls in our memory.

I share Marie McNair’s concerns about the new risks of tech-based violence, and I echo her calls for us to unite in tackling it.

Rhoda Grant mentioned Ash Regan’s Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill. As we do for all members’ bills, we will give that bill full and careful consideration. Members will be aware that the Criminal Justice Committee’s scrutiny of the bill at stage 1 is under way, and the Minister for Victims and Community Safety gave evidence last month. The Scottish Government has confirmed that we strongly support the principle of legislating to criminalise those who purchase sex. That position aligns with our equally safe strategy, which states clearly that prostitution is a form of violence against women and girls. The Scottish Government currently retains a neutral stance on the bill ahead of the Parliament’s continued scrutiny of the proposals in it.

Stuart McMillan rightly talked about tackling misogyny and referenced the good work of the equally safe strategy. A public awareness campaign is currently being developed, and it will be launched in February 2026.

I knew that I would end up running out of time, but I will just take a couple of seconds to finish.

I welcome and share the ambition to eliminate violence against women and girls that I have heard in members’ speeches today. It is a tribute to the Parliament that we can all join together in solidarity as we continue to make progress. We must all work together, as the theme of Scotland’s 16 days campaign highlights. I therefore call on all those in the chamber to renew their commitment, not just during the 16 days but every single day.

The act will allow courts to impose new FGM protection orders to safeguard individuals. As of November 2025, the protection orders are now sitting with the courts. Officials sent over a civil court rules proposal paper to the Scottish Civil Justice Council, and we are waiting to hear when the paper will be considered by the council. Regarding criminal court rules, officials will send over a rules proposal paper to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission in early 2026. A revised draft of the statutory guidance will be sent to relevant stakeholders such as specialist organisations, health and child protection colleagues and internal colleagues for review in December—so, this month.

I am happy to meet any members who are interested in pursuing the issue at their convenience.

I agree. The Scottish Government is fully committed to progressing the coming home agenda alongside COSLA. The dynamic support register, which was launched in May 2023, records data from across Scotland about people with learning disabilities and complex needs who are, for example, delayed in hospital or living in inappropriate out-of-area settings.

In 2024, we established a practitioner peer support network, which brings together learning disability professionals from across Scotland to share best practice on complex care needs. Proposals for a national support panel are being progressed through the proposed learning disability, autism and neurodivergence bill.