SNP MP and Labour MSP join forces in bid to tackle violence against women and girls

dailyrecord.co.uk:

An SNP MP and a Labour MSP have joined forces in a bid to tackle violence against women and girls.Gavin Newlands and Pauline McNeill have urged men to "take an active role in stopping violence before it starts."The pair have come together for White Ribbon Day.

The aim is to raise awareness about the importance of men speaking up about gendered violence.Football presenters and rail staff will be among the many people across the UK who will wear ribbons to show their support.Paisley and Renfrewshire North MP Newlands and Glasgow list MSP McNeill have said that it is "up to men to put a stop to violence against women and girls."They said that men can do so "by challenging the attitudes and behaviours of their peers".The parliamentarians added that "widespread misogyny" is "bred into too many men and boys from an early age".They said in a joint statement: "[White Ribbon Day's] fundamental message for men and boys: it’s up to you to put a stop to violence against women and girls."This year’s theme is 'Change The Story' – that all men can take an active role in stopping violence before it starts, by challenging the attitudes and behaviours of their peers, norms that can develop into violence if left unchecked."At the last estimate, the financial cost of violence against women and girls in Scotland was reckoned to be upwards of £4 billion a year.McNeill and Newlands added: "But the human cost of gender-based violence to our society is incalculable – lives shattered, families uprooted, the trauma that survivors endure for years afterwards, despite the best efforts of professionals and volunteers on the frontline."They continued: "One in four girls have experienced unwanted sexual touching in school, while 60% of women have felt