The Council’s local focus is on ‘Gender based abuse, violence and exploitation in the lives of children and young people’. A range of events and activities will focus on raising awareness of the issues faced by children and young people, including what parents, professionals and members of the community can do to keep children and young people safe, particularly online.

The Equally Safe Edinburgh Committee (ESEC) – a partnership between organisations which work to put into practice the Scottish Government’s and Conventions of Scottish Local Authorities’ (COSLA) Equally Safe Strategy across Edinburgh – has organised a series of events, which are mainly taking place online making them accessible for even more people.

The City Chambers will be lit up orange in support of the campaign, and the 16 Days flag will be flown above the building.

Cllr Mandy Watt, Deputy Leader and Convenor for Finances and Resources Committee said:

“This year’s 16 Days of Activism campaign to end gender-based violence will raise vital awareness of the impact that this has on the lives of young women and girls. The Council’s campaign events will provide information about what we should be doing to support our young women and girls as they navigate a physical and online world which all too often doesn’t show them the respect that they deserve.

“Their right to be equally safe is a duty that involves all of us. I’m hoping that everyone who wants a world in which women and girls are able to live their best lives will engage with this campaign during the 16 days and join us in working towards a future where women and girls can feel stronger and safer.”

Throughout the 16 Days, a range of local, national and online events will take place, and all events apart from Bookbug sessions taking place throughout libraries in Edinburgh, will be in webinar format through MS Teams.

• Wednesday 26 November 09:30 – 11:00: Introduction to the Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (DSDAS)
• Monday 1 December 13:30 – 15:30: Bitter-sweet Sixteen: Abuse, violence, and exploitation in Young People’s Intimate Relationships
• Wednesday 3 December 10:00 – 11:30: Training Session: “Building Bridges”: Handling disclosures of involvement in the sex industry by women
• Monday 8 December 09:30 – 12:30: Online Misogyny, incel culture, pornography and their impacts on children and young people: How can professionals respond?
• Tuesday 9 December 10:00 – 12:00: The Homicide Timeline: 2-hour introductory webinar.
• Wednesday 10 December 09:30 – 12:30: ‘Better memories from now on’: how to best support infants, babies and children living with parental domestic abuse

For more information and to sign up, visit: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/sixteendaysofactivism.

For additional events taking place nationally, please see: https://www.improvementservice.org.uk/products-and-services/protecting-people/tackling-violence-against-women/national-violence-against-women-network/16-days-of-activism-against-gender-based-violence