News/Blog
Perspective matters when it comes to securing social justice: the Scottish Feminist Judgments Project
by Sharon Cowan, Chloë Kennedy and Vanessa Munro
What is the Scottish Feminist Judgments Project (SFJP)? The SFJP is a collaborative legal project involving over 40 contributors: university academics, lawyers, judges, activists and artists. The project examines sixteen important legal cases in Scotland, and rewrites the judges’ decisions as if the judge had been a feminist, using only the resources that would have been available to the judge at the time of the original case.
Child Welfare Reports: what are they and why do they matter in domestic abuse cases?
Over the past four years, Richard Whitecross, a legal researcher at Edinburgh Napier University, has been doing research on how the courts handle child contact cases in which there has been domestic abuse. He has interviewed lawyers, sheriffs and many women with children.
One of the key concerns raised with him by mothers with experience of domestic abuse is about the Child Welfare Report prepared for the court. With support from the Royal Society of Edinburgh, he is beginning a new project to look at Child Welfare Reports and how they report, or not, domestic abuse.
Shedding light on the challenges faced by BAME women in Scotland
As part of a feminist leadership group based in Scotland, we have published a series of blogs from BAME women in Scotland, highlighting the challenges and inequalities many Black and ethnic minority women are facing.
The blogs are written by members of the Feel Good Women’s Group in Govanhill, the Ubuntu Women Shelter, members of the Young Women’s Movement in Scotland and Zero Tolerance. They discuss a variety of issues including community activism, the impact of the policy of no recourse to public funds, personal experiences of racism and sexism and the links between anti-racism work and prevention of violence against women.
Me, I have a voice
In this blog we share the powerful account of a survivor who endured years of sexual harassment from her male work colleagues. Her testimony brings to light the many obstacles she faced to report the perpetrators and put an end to the abuse, as well as the emotional impact on her life and the journey to heal from this devastating experience.
Content warning: this story includes descriptions of physical and sexual harassment, suicidal thoughts, depression, and references to domestic abuse and sexual violence. You can find details of support services here and at the end of this blog post.
Domestic abuse and trauma informed practice: new CPD training video launched for solicitors in Scotland
The Scottish Women’s Rights Centre (SWRC) has today launched a training video for solicitors, which discusses the benefits of a trauma-informed practice when working with those who have experienced domestic abuse. Funded by the Scottish Government, the free online video and CPD questions are now available on the Law Society of Scotland’s website.