Dr Marsha Scott @SWACEO

Accessing justice in rural, remote and island communities in Scotland can come with significant barriers. Women report struggling to find solicitors nearby, facing long delays, or having to travel great distances for court, appointments, or interviews. In some areas, there are simply too few legal aid solicitors available - leaving women without representation when they need it most. You have the right to safety and justice, wherever you live. Learn more about your rights, here: womensaid.scot/understand-you… #RemoteandRuralSpotlight

Children and young people who have experienced domestic abuse alongside their mothers deserve understanding, care and positive spaces to grow. Many local specialist Women’s Aid services provide specialist support for children and young people, helping them feel safe, heard and supported as they make sense of their experiences through play, emotional support and young-person-centred programmes. 💛 You can find your nearest Women’s Aid service here: womensaid.scot/find-nearest-w…

Presenters from specialist law services in Texas talking about making “Emotional safety plans” for court appearances. Great stuff. @TheCCICIntl

“Best way to build trust with survivors [to reduce trauma in court] is to follow through” and not overpromise @TheCCCIntl

I’m at @JusticeAndOpp to share our learning about criminalising coercive control and to learn from experts around the world, including @CassandraWiener

For 50 years, Scottish Women’s Aid has worked to influence the policies and laws that affect survivors of domestic abuse. Our policy experts have produced briefings and consultation responses on a wide range of issues – from justice and housing to children’s rights and prevention. You can browse our work, here: womensaid.scot/briefings-and-… #SWA50

✊ Resistance. ✊ Resistance is the first word in our 50th anniversary tagline: Resistance. Resilience. Rights. It speaks to our past and to the fundamental driver behind what we do. In the early 1970s, women across Scotland came together through the Women’s Liberation Movement to challenge inequality and violence against women. Through discussion, protest and political action, they refused to accept the silence around domestic abuse and began building practical support for women experiencing it. The first Women’s Aid groups were established in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 1973, followed by others across the country. By 1976, it was agreed that there was a need for an organising body to coordinate the growing network of Women’s Aid groups, and so Scottish Women’s Aid was founded that year. Scottish Women’s Aid was set up to nurture new groups and support established groups through research, legal advice, and campaigning for changes to the law. As we mark the 50th anniversary of Scottish Women’s Aid, we honour that legacy of resistance, women organising, speaking out and demanding safety, dignity and justice. Resistance is where our story begins. 💜 #ScottishWomensAid #ResistanceResilienceRights #WomensRights #EndDomesticAbuse #SWA50

A reminder that the Scottish Government’s Fund to Leave is open to applications. The fund offers women based in Scotland up to £1,000 for essentials to support the costs of leaving, planning to leave or staying left from an abusive relationship. This might include costs related to moving home or increasing safety to enable a woman to remain in her own home. The fund is limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis by fund delivery partners, which include participating Women’s Aid services and other specialist delivery services. Application and participating services details are available here: ow.ly/TEPJ50YeXJP

We know that ending domestic abuse isn't something which can be done in isolation. We work alongside police, courts, politicians, and other third sector organisations to raise awareness, share knowledge, and support progress together. Today’s #50VoicesFor50Years features Lesley Irving. 💜 Lesley, formerly Head of Equality Policy with the Scottish Government, shares her reflections as we mark 50 years of Scottish Women’s Aid.

Today, at the close of Women’s History Month, we are launching the commemoration and celebration of our 50th anniversary year. As we mark this moment, we remember all those who came before us, the women and allies who fought tirelessly for the right of women and children in Scotland to live free from domestic abuse. Their courage and determination laid the foundations for the work we continue today. 💜 We also look to the future. Tomorrow is a new day, a continuation of our collective efforts alongside the Women’s Aid network and our partners and allies across Scotland to support, to speak out for, and to advocate on behalf of women and children affected by domestic abuse. Throughout the year ahead, we will share reflections and insights from this journey through an exciting initiative we’ll announce very soon. This morning, we are introducing our new logo and tagline, which will accompany us throughout this anniversary year. Today, we want to share the meaning behind the logo, which we hope will inspire us all. 💜The Scottish thistle is not only intertwined with Scotland’s national identity, but to us it represents resilience, a hardiness that we will continue to persevere throughout the many storms. The thistle is about being ok with sometimes being seen as prickly and difficult, as that is often the reality of speaking out and standing firm for women’s rights and safety. The need is too great to stay silent. It is a call for us all to be the purple in the field of green, luminous and strong. ♀️The Venus symbol is part of our fabric. Long recognised as a symbol of women and feminism, it represents empowerment and our continued commitment to campaigning for equality. 🌿Finally, the stem and leaf symbolise growth, the steady, meaningful changes made over time that help women and children in their moments of need, and that move us all closer to justice and safety, which are elementary rights. Over the next few weeks, we will share more about our tagline for the remainder of this year and how Resistance, Resilience, and Rights are fundamental to our past and our future. For now, thank you for being with us on this journey. 💜💜💜 #SWA50 #ResistanceResilienceRights #EndDomesticAbuse

📖#SWAhistorySpotlight📖 This year we’re turning 50! As we get ready to mark 50 years of Scottish Women’s Aid, we’re taking some time to look back. Today is also the start of Women’s History month, which is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society. So, before our official anniversary celebrations begin at the end of this month, March will be a moment to reflect on the journey that brought us here. From the first Women’s Aid groups offering refuge and solidarity, to five decades of campaigning for women and children’s safety, our history is rooted in collective action and the determination to create change. Throughout this month, we’ll be sharing snapshots from our past: milestones, memories, and the people who helped build Scottish Women’s Aid into the national movement it is today.

There are more than 30 expert Women’s Aid services across Scotland helping women and children every day. If you’re looking for support, find your nearest Women’s Aid here: womensaid.scot/find-nearest-w…

Significant reforms to the justice system, including the abolition of the not proven verdict, will come into force from today. The threshold for a guilty verdict in jury trials will also increase - though the legislation will not apply to trials that are already underway. The series of recommendations we made in our consultation response, can be read in full, here: ow.ly/UiVO50WXqeY

If you want to play a part in helping women and children rebuild their lives after domestic abuse, then a job with Women's Aid might be for you. There are roles with our groups across the country. Find out more: womensaid.scot/news/vacancies/

🚨 Domestic abuse and reproductive control go hand in hand. For many survivors, controlling a person’s body, including denying access to abortion or coercing an unwanted pregnancy, is an extension of abuse. The Let’s Change the Act campaign is calling for the full decriminalisation of abortion in Scotland, a change that would help protect bodily autonomy, reduce stigma, and limit harmful police involvement in reproductive health. Sign up to join the campaign here: ow.ly/SlGY50XKbx5 When abuse includes reproductive coercion, survivors often face impossible choices: •being denied access to abortion •being forced to continue a pregnancy •being criminalised or reported for seeking care We stand with Let’s Change the Act. Reproductive rights are essential to safety, dignity, and justice. ⚠️ Abortion should be treated like other healthcare: safe, legal, decriminalised. Let’s change the act for bodily autonomy, for survivors, for dignity. #ReproductiveJustice #DecriminaliseAbortion #EndDomesticAbuse #LetsChangeTheAct

📣Please help us spread the word. Scotland’s Domestic Abuse & Forced Marriage Helpline will be available 24/7 throughout the Christmas period 💜 📞 0800 027 1234 💻 Email & web chat: sdafmh.org.uk 📱 Text/WhatsApp: 07401 288 595

📣Share to make sure people know support is still here. Scotland's Domestic Abuse & Forced Marriage Helpline is open as usual over Christmas - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 💜 📞 0800 027 1234 💻 Email & web chat: sdafmh.org.uk 📱 Text/WhatsApp: 07401 288 595

@berringdenbrow @scotwomensaid Coercive control at work. So insidious. Thank you for sharing!

This is a sobering article and a reminder that women's poverty is also children's poverty. Data from charity Surviving Economic Abuse showed that over the past year, 27% of mothers with children under 18 had experienced behaviour considered to be economic abuse. ''The research found perpetrators used various means, including stopping mothers accessing bank accounts and child benefits, and refusing to pay child maintenance.'' Read more here: theguardian.com/society/2025/d…

💸 😟 Economic abuse traps women in abuse and poverty and limits their ability to leave. Public debt is often accrued by the perpetrator in the woman’s name without her knowledge, or she is coerced into taking on debt. Women escape abuse burdened with debt, such as rent arrears or joint council tax liabilities, that prevent them from starting again. Being held responsible for coerced debt and the inability to make those payments because of economic abuse often forces survivors and their children to return to their abusive partners. To #MakeHomeSafe for Survivors, Scotland needs urgent action: 📝Recognise domestic abuse as a mitigating factor in all debt recovery, rent, and credit frameworks. 💼 Expand financial advocacy services within Women’s Aid and housing pathways. Economic abuse keeps women trapped, and if we are to #MakeHomeSafe for survivors, recognition and understanding of economic abuse must be a vital part of the response. Make housing a right, not another fight for survival. #16Days #VAWG #Scotland #HousingJustice #MakeHomeSafe