As part of the Council elections we have written out to all candidates in the Ross-shire, Skye and Lochalsh area. Asking them to tell us about what they would do to support us and tackle gender based violence if elected.

The role of local authorities has a huge impact on the work of Women’s Aid from providing funding, to referring women to the service, to helping us achieve positive outcomes for our service users. The decisions elected members and council officials make have a direct impact on our service and the lives of the women, children and young people we support.

Our work with local authorities can be at the strategic level- working with agencies or individual departments to help improve their response to violence against women and at a service delivery level in ensuring individual women, children and young people receive the support they require.

Local authorities provide a myriad of services which impact on the lives of all those who live in their area. Elected members have a duty to ensure that they are working on behalf of all those who live in their wards and in particular those whose voices aren’t always heard. Women’s Aid tries to ensure that the voices of women, children and young people with experience of domestic abuse are heard at this level and are taken into account by those making these decisions.

The responses we have received so far have been extremely encouraging and can be found here. Council responses.

For an interesting blog on candidate trends in the forthcoming elections can be found here.