Supporting The Sunday Post It’s Time Campaign to End Violence Against Women

That the Parliament welcomes The Sunday Post It’s Time campaign that aims to transform how Scotland tackles violence against women and girls; commends the newspaper, its Chief Reporter, Marion Scott, and everyone who has helped expose the shocking reality of domestic abuse and violence against women and girls in Scotland; pays tribute to the courage of survivors and bereaved families who have spoken out, often at enormous personal cost, so that others might be safer; believes that no woman or girl should have to live in fear in her own home, suffer abuse in silence or feel that the system has failed to protect her; further believes that ending violence against women requires more than warm words and must mean determined action on prevention, education, cultural change, support for victims and survivors, and a justice system that properly protects the public and holds perpetrators to account; agrees that the shame must always lie with the abuser, never the victim; believes that violence against women is not inevitable and must never be accepted as a normal part of life in Scotland; encourages members from every party to support the It’s Time campaign, and calls on people, communities, public bodies and organisations across Scotland to play their part in building a country in which women and girls can live free from fear, abuse and violence.