It’s fantastic to see so many of you at this Spotlight event during the 16 Days of Action. Your presence reflects the commitment across Scotland to tackle two of the most complex and harmful issues we face - violence against women and girls, and substance use. These are not separate challenges. They intersect in ways that compound harm and magnify risk, and that’s why today’s conversation matters so much.

My name is Cllr Paul Kelly and I’m speaking to you in my role as the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities Spokesperson for Health and Social Care - better known as COSLA. COSLA is the national voice of Scotland’s 32 councils, and I want to start by recognising the vital role you all play in this system.

This year’s 16 Days theme, agreed nationally by Violence Against Women Partnerships, is “All Together to Prevent and End Violence Against Women and Girls.” It reflects a simple truth: tackling violence against women and girls is everyone’s business. No single service, sector, or system can end this abuse alone. It demands collective leadership, joined-up action, and a relentless focus on prevention – not just for 16 days, but every day of every year.

Globally, violence against women remains one of humanity’s oldest and most pervasive injustices. Here in Scotland, the challenge continues to grow in prevalence and complexity. In 2023–24, Police Scotland recorded 63,867 incidents of domestic abuse – an increase of 3 percent on the previous year. Eighty-one percent of these incidents involved a female victim and a male perpetrator who is a previous or current intimate partner, and almost 90 percent occurred in the home. New figures show a further increase.

Police Scotland’s most recent figures show that of all crimes committed against women, over 60% are violent in nature and that there is an average of 210 violent crimes perpetrated against women every single day. Behind every statistic is a woman, potentially a family and a community, living with fear and harm.

We know these figures are only the tip of the iceberg. Behind every statistic is a pattern of harm that often spans years. Domestic abuse is rarely a single incident. Victim- Survivors often live under coercive control – a pattern of behaviour designed to strip away freedom and autonomy – long before circumstances become so harmful and dangerous that they reach out for help. Many do so only when risks extend to others they love and have been trying to protect.

And here’s the critical point: no form of violence against women exists in isolation. Domestic abuse, sexual violence, stalking, and exploitation often overlap. Each form compounds harm and magnifies risk. Ignoring these links leads to incomplete safety planning and ineffective interventions.

Victim-survivors face enormous barriers to seeking support, both in crisis and in recovery. And that brings us to today’s focus.

Substance use adds another layer of complexity. For many women, alcohol or drugs are not about choice - they are often a coping mechanism for trauma caused by abuse. Perpetrators exploit this reality, using addiction to deepen dependency and control. And women face enormous barriers to seeking help, fearing stigma, judgment, or even child removal.

Local Government is at the heart of Scotland’s response, not just through direct services, but by shaping the wider conditions for recovery and safety. Housing, education, employability, social care, and community wellbeing are all critical to tackling the root causes of both substance use and gender-based violence.

A real strength in this system is our Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs). These multi-agency partnerships bring together health, justice, and community voices to plan and commission services that reflect local needs. Their ability to connect with other strategic partnerships, Community Planning, Children’s Services, Public Protection - means they can deliver joined-up solutions that go beyond treatment, addressing poverty, trauma, and inequality.

Equally, our Violence Against Women Partnerships (VAWPs) drive local implementation of Equally Safe, the national strategy to prevent and eradicate VAWG. Together, these partnerships hold the expertise and the relationships needed to make real change.

A proposed new joint COSLA–Scottish Government Drugs & Alcohol Strategy, due early next year, will build on lessons from the National Mission and move towards prevention, equality, and human rights. Embedding a gendered approach and the recognition of trauma in our collaborative design will be key to supporting improvement - because we know that the intersection of substance misuse and gender-based violence can be deeply rooted in adverse experiences.

Here, Local Government’s relationship with the Trauma Transformation Programme is key. By embedding trauma-informed principles across all services, we can create safe, non-judgmental spaces and inclusive pathways to recovery. This is about systems that see the whole person, not just the presenting issue.

Everyone in this room plays a vital role in making these ambitions real. Violence against women and girls is not inevitable. Substance-related harm is not inevitable. By working together, ADPs, VAWPs, councils, and all our partners - we can turn policy into practice and deliver lasting change for women, children, and communities.

Thank you for your leadership, your commitment, and your determination to make Scotland a place where the safety and equality of women and girls in our society are not aspirations, but realities.

8th December 2025