Write to End Violence Against Women Awards 2019
Were delighted that two of our writers have been short-listed for the Write to End Violence Against Women Awards 2019. One by Fiona Robertson under comment and opinion, and the one by Miss M under blogs. Both were published under our Guest Editor programme in which Caitlin Logan (also nominated) was our editor.
The competition, now in its 7th year, celebrates outstanding journalism and writing on gender equality and violence against women.
Rachel Adamson, Co- Director, Zero Tolerance:
“We were very excited to receive over 190 nominations this year from a wide range of papers and writers. The standard this year has been exceptional.”
“With every story on violence against women there is an opportunity to stop it happening again.”
“Responsible and sensitive writing on what violence against women is, what the warning signs are, and where people can seek help, is a key part of creating a world free from violence against women. It can save lives”
See the full shortlist here:
Best Piece – News
Caitlin Logan, The National: Warning over Pause Project that only supports women using contraception
Karin Goodwin, The Ferret & The Sunday National: Call to review domestic murders to help prevent further deaths
David Leask, The Herald: Rape victims to give video statements in bid to improve conviction rates
David Thomson, Common Space: STUC Youth Conference demands free sanitary products for all female workers
Best Piece – Feature
Rhiannon Davies, CommonSpace: Campaign to remember ‘Glasgow’s dirty secret’
Megan McEachern, The Sunday Post: “I’ll never forget it. His eyes just went black:” Domestic abuse survivor on coming out the other side and striving for greater awareness in young women
Kirsty Feerick, Cumnock Chronicle: Mum survived horrific domestic abuse and now helps others escape violent relationships by recycling
Mary McCool, BBC: Edinburgh hip hop artist raps about rape to help survivors heal
Honourable mention: Caitlin Logan, Commonspace: More than a piece of policy: Scotland’s trans youth say it’s time to see the humans behind the headlines
Best Piece – Opinion and Comment
Carrie Lyell, The Independent – Trans people aren’t ‘erasing’ lesbians like me – I’ll fight for equality standing side-by-side with them
Fiona Roberston, Bella Caledonia: Surviving in plain sight: Disabled women and domestic abuse
Dani Garavelli, Scotland on Sunday: Marshae Jones case shows US is close to dystopian nightmare
Kirsty Strickland, The Herald: The dark lesson that the Jeffrey Epstein case can teach Scotland
Honourable mention: Calum MacLeod, The National: Sgrios-cinnidh ann an Canada
Best Piece – Blog and Self Published
Elspeth Wilson, Engender blog: Why contraception needs a Me Too moment
Faiza Yousaf, Life of Fai: Why Didn’t You Leave?
Miss M, Bella Caledonia: When the criminal courts let me down, I sought my own justice
Esme Johnson, Rape Crisis Scotland Blog: Letter to Boris Johnson
Gender Equality Awards – Women and Sport
Laura Waddell, The Scotsman: Scotland Women ‘really shake them up’ and may even win World Cup
Molly McElwee, The Telegraph: Katie Archibald on Inaugural Women’s Tour of Scotland
Dani Garavelli, Nutmeg Magazine: No Thanks to the Men
Stewart Fisher, The Herald: Rose Reilly: I am just pleased that Scotland’s women footballers can finally achieve their goals
Winners will be announced on Wednesday 4 of December at the awards ceremony at the Scottish Parliament, hosted by Jackie Baillie MSP.
The Awards are organised by Zero Tolerance, supported by Amina: The Muslim Women’s Resource Centre, Edinburgh Student Arts Festival, Engender, Everyday Victim Blaming, Fife College, Hollaback Edinburgh, International Women’s Day Edinburgh, NUJ Scotland, Rape Crisis Scotland, Shakti Women’s Aid, the Empower Project, University of West Scotland, White Ribbon Scotland, and YWCA Scotland. The Awards are sponsored by NUJ Scotland, and NUJ Glasgow Branch.
Follow Write to end Violence Against Women on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/WritetoEndVAW
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Do any of these touch on patriarchal religion as being a major factor in violence against women? I have just become aware of such problems in USAmerican Samoa, which is 99% Christian:
‘The silence is suffocating’: family abuse ‘epidemic’ uncovered in Samoa
“Dr Mercy Ah Siu-Maliko, the only female lecturer at the Piula Theological college, says a literal belief in the Old Testament reinforces patriarchal views.
“‘Patriarchal theology continues to shape Samoans’ interpretation of the Bible. A literal reading of biblical passages is still used to justify men’s dominance over women and their right to physically ‘discipline’ women and children,’ she says.”
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/sep/03/family-abuse-epidemic-uncovered-in-samoa
Some researchers have also looked at the spread of Christianity throughout the Pacific (better records) to hypothesize how Christianity might have spread throughout Europe much earlier. Apparently more hierarchical political systems adopted Christianity first, more top-down than bottom-up. I guess this is significant when considering how patriarchal culture developed here in Scotland.
One of many causes I expect, Sleeping Dog. Violence by men is a cause of suffering & misery throughout the world and always has been, whether the victims are women, other men, children or animals. Hollywood and computer game manufacturers continue to churn out and spend millions of $ on publishing the glorification of male violence as if it’ something to be celebrated. The POTUS laps up another misogynist monster’s blood and brags about him dying like a dog as if he personally killed him, like Clint Eastwood in a spaghetti western. An English MP who spoke publicly about her abusive & violent relationship is mocked in the Spectator. Every weekend the papers report deaths caused by violence, usually male on other male, in Western Scotland.
Women are doing a good job in making their protests heard, but so should other men. Every city includes streets we wouldn’t walk along after dark, and frequently ones we avoid in the daytime too if we have any sense, regardless of our age or gender.
The required culture shift isn’t going to happen in our lifetime, sadly. I wish it would.
@Connolly, I think these behaviours might also be interpreted as signs of weakness in a male supremacist subculture that can only target the most vulnerable and has no rational justification. My impression of gaming culture is quite different these days. No doubt there is still “glorification of male violence” in some games, although a lot of that looks old-fashioned, ironic or homo-erotic now. But huge numbers of people play games, a vast bulk of which are non-violent, and many now have female protagonists. Some high-production-value games even deconstruct male violence, or actively punish it. I think the most popular game in the UK now is FIFA soccer, which has for a few years included women’s national teams.
It would be good, I think, if we could see an article here about modern gaming, perhaps from a Scottish expert doing some relevant academic research on its relationship to violence and women, written for people who are not gamers.