SCOTLAND should be safe for all women and girls, whether they’re at home, on the street, at school, on a bus, at work or online.

But the truth is, in 2023, we still have a long way to go.

That’s why I welcome the focus of the 16 Days of Activism, the UN-led campaign kicking off tomorrow.

For over 30 years, this annual international period of awareness has been all about raising awareness about violence against women and girls and challenging governments to do more.

It’s not just an issue in far flung parts of the world, but here in Scotland.

One woman is killed by her partner or ex-partner every six weeks in this country. The number of rapes, attempted rapes and domestic abuse cases reported to police over the past year is at the highest level on record.

However, this isn’t just about numbers and statistics. For too long the onus has been on women and girls to regulate their own behaviour.

That must change and it must mean men and boys stepping up, speaking out and educating themselves on these issues.

The focus of this year’s 16 Days of Activism is uniting to “invest to prevent violence against women and girls”.

The point on prevention is key. Scottish Labour recently held a public consultation on ending violence against women and girls, the summary of which is also set to be published this week.

A key message from respondents was the extent to which violence against women and girls was regarded as systemic and could only be tackled by addressing attitudes in the first place.

The need for a cross-campus strategy to educate on (and tackle) sexism, misogyny and sexual harassment in schools was raised.

Similarly, I was particularly struck by how many submissions, particularly from trade unions, exposed the extent of the issue in workplaces.

One union representing workers in the transport sector even shared surveys indicating 80 per cent of their women members had experienced workplace violence in the last year.

For women and girls travelling on public transport, the issue of anti-social behaviour and insufficient staffing was also cited. The fact nearly two thirds of all rail stations are unstaffed can’t be overlooked.

Then there’s the justice system itself. Most victims of crime are women and girls, and yet court backlogs were specifically highlighted as a barrier for women being able to carry on with their lives.

Rape victims in particular find the system retraumatising, which is why I’m calling for the introduction of a right to legal advocacy.

Nobody claims these issues can all be solved overnight. However, it’s time we accepted a culture change is needed in Scotland, which will only be possible with root and branch reform.

That means public messaging and campaigns in schools and workplaces. It means investing in support services and making them accessible to minority groups.

And eradication of violence against women and girls must start to be seen as realistic and essential.