Gender-based violenceEqually Safe at 海角论坛 Group
What we do
The Group鈥痩eads and鈥痮versees鈥痶he University’s strategy to understand and tackle gender-based violence鈥�(GBV) prevalent鈥痺ithin鈥痮ur鈥疷niversity鈥痑nd wider鈥痗ommunities.鈥疶he鈥疓roup鈥痟as evolved from鈥痶he Equally Safe in Higher Education Project鈥疓roup鈥�(ESHE),鈥痑 two-year鈥痯ilot鈥痯roject鈥痠nitially鈥痜unded by the Scottish Government in 2016-2018鈥�, which鈥痵uccessfully delivered the ESHE research,鈥痵ector鈥痳ecommendations and Toolkit.鈥�
It continues the commitment to鈥痵upport the implementation of Equally Safe, the Scottish Government’s national policy for the prevention and elimination of Violence against Women and Girls.鈥疶he work of the Group鈥痳esponds to sector developments and鈥痓uilds upon the University’s鈥�痳esearch and drives forward the鈥疎milyTest鈥疓BV鈥疌harter.鈥�
The Group meets three times each year and reports to the Safeguarding Committee and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. For more information, please email the Chair of the Group, Dr Stephanie McKendry (Deputy Director Student Experience) stephanie.mckendry@strath.ac.uk.
Equally Safe Action Plan 2025-29
We formally launched our 4-year Equally Safe Action plan at an event during 16 Days of Activism against GBV on 25 November 2025. This plan consolidates and strengthens work already underway across the University, bringing together existing commitments from Athena Swan, the EmilyTest Charter, Suicide Safer, Safe360°™, and other ongoing initiatives, and aligning with the five themes of our Equality Outcomes. It also introduces new actions that respond to emerging needs and the voices of our students and staff.
Equally Safe at 海角论坛 Group remit:
- Provide鈥痵trategic oversight to the University’s鈥疓BV-related policies,鈥痯rocedures鈥痑nd鈥痯rojects鈥�
- Advocate for鈥痓est practice/excellence in relation to GBV policies, procedures and activities and promote GBV activity as an institutional鈥痯riority鈥�
- Provide critical scrutiny of the University’s鈥疓BV鈥痑ctivities, policies鈥痑nd鈥痯rocedures鈥�
- Undertake a thematic working group approach to identify, respond to, and鈥痠nform鈥痵trategy and鈥痠mplementation鈥痑ctivity鈥�
- Lead and oversee the implementation of the Emily Test Charter鈥痑nd other relevant sector and national campaigns, charters and鈥痵trategies鈥�
- Enable the鈥疷niversity鈥痶o establish links with relevant external鈥痮rganisations鈥�
- Provide鈥痑dvice to the Safe360°Group鈥痑nd related staff and student committees鈥�
- Monitor, evaluate and report on the Rape Crisis provision on campus.
Emily Test GBV Charter
We are proud to work in partnership with the to tackle gender-based violence in universities.
Having participated in the pilot development of their in 2020-21, we were one of the first universities to be awarded the Charter in September 2024. We successfully completed our first annual review in October 2025.
