WOMEN in more parts of Scotland are to receive increased advice and support services when they are victims of gender violence.
The announcement yesterday that the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre (SWRC) is to expand to Dundee and the Highlands follows a decision by the Scottish Government to invest an extra £665,000 over the next two years.
As a result of this new funding, SWRC will significantly increase its legal team to provide direct legal support in Glasgow, Lanarkshire and, for the first time, Dundee and the Highlands.
The Centre is a partnership project between Rape Crisis Scotland, the University of Strathclyde and the Legal Services Agency, with students from the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic providing further legal support.
The SWRC will employ a new full-time advocacy support worker, focusing on the needs of the women who access the service, and the centre’s helpline will increase its hours to ensure women have more options available to them to seek legal information and advice on any aspect of gender-based violence.
Announcing the expansion, Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said: “The Scottish Women’s Rights Centre, which recently celebrated its first year of operation, is an excellent example of how drawing together many specialist groups can offer those who have suffered violence the widest range of advice and support needed.
“Different areas of Scotland have different needs, for example, rural locations can have geographical barriers to accessing otherwise mainstream services, and this additional £665,000 funding will help us reach more women across Scotland.
“All of the groups involved in the centre play an invaluable role in supporting victims to come to terms with the aftermath of horrendous crimes and I am grateful to them for their hard work and continued efforts to strengthen the services for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence in Scotland.”
Marsha Scott, chief executive of Scottish Women’s Aid and a member of the SWRC’s Advisory Group said: “SWRC is an innovative, thinking-out-of-the-box response to the problem of women’s lack of access to competent and affordable legal services when they experience domestic and or sexual violence. Clearly this expansion out of the central belt allows us to look at the model in new settings, a very welcome development that will allow us to design services fit for women across Scotland.”
Kate Laverty of the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic said: “Women all over Scotland clearly need this service and our students are eager to help.
“Not only are they keen to hone their legal skills but they want to be part of changing things for the better for those experiencing gender-based violence. Their involvement at this early stage in their studies helps to spread knowledge and skills in this specialist area of law and will have a huge influence in their future careers in law.”
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