Official Report · Chamber
Portfolio Question Time
This is the draft Official Report. The final version may differ.
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To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to introduce misogyny education programmes in all schools as part of its strategy to address violence against women and girls, what substantive update it can provide on the delivery of these programmes, including an expected timeline. (S7O-00475)
There is absolutely no place for misogyny or gender-based violence in Scotland’s schools, and education plays a vital role in tackling the root causes. Work is already under way to deliver our commitment to expand anti-misogyny education in Scotland’s schools. An additional £1 million through the new respect fund will support this work from 2027-28, building on effective programmes that are already being delivered in schools, including equally safe at school and the digital discourse initiative. Development work is under way and will be taken forward through the gender equality task force in education and learning.
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Although guaranteed misogyny education is very welcome, I am concerned that one-off or time-limited inputs from third sector experts represent a severely limited approach. Many young people feel that what is provided is inconsistent and uncomprehensive and does not meet their needs.
Does the minister agree that, although the recent overhaul of relationships, sexual health and parenthood education was a necessary and positive step towards meeting the First Minister’s aspirations to tackle violence against women and girls, all schools and local authorities must ensure that children and young people have equitable access to education about healthy relationships, consent and safety?
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The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic has met young people, and ministerial colleagues have engaged in dialogue with local authorities on how best to implement that work. I absolutely agree that we should teach our young people—boys and girls—about healthy relationships, so that those conversations can happen from the outset.
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Almost one in five female teachers have been subjected to physical violence, verbal abuse and sexual harassment, while less than 20 per cent of girls say that they feel entirely safe in their schools. I previously called on the Scottish Government to ensure that there is a cross-campus strategy to tackle violence, sexism and misogyny in our schools. Is the Scottish Government now looking at implementing such a strategy?
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Our ambitions to address violence against women and girls are cross cutting and cross portfolio. We are looking at the issues of sexism and misogyny and at enabling girls and boys to feel safer in our communities. Education is part of that, and those are some of the actions that we will take forward.
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I am proud that the Scottish National Party Government is taking a stand against sexism and giving every school the resources to tackle misogyny. Will the minister expand on the wider work that the Scottish Government is taking forward to challenge harmful cultural norms, including through its “Don’t be that guy” campaign?
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Sexism has absolutely no place in our vision for a modern Scotland, and we remain determined to take a range of measures to tackle it. In addition to the work to tackle misogyny in schools, our impactful campaign aimed at highlighting how online sexism can negatively harm girls is running until mid-December. We are also supporting Police Scotland’s “Don’t be that guy” campaign—Ms Adam mentioned it—which is working to challenge harmful attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls.
The type of each item (debate, statement, questions, members’ business and so on) and the times shown are worked out by this site from headings, the chair’s opening words and the Official Report’s running timestamps. They are not the Parliament’s own classification. Text: the Scottish Parliament Official Report.