About the West Lothian Gender Based Violence Committee

The West Lothian Gender Based Violence Committee are a multi-agency partnership that is inclusive and welcomes contributions from statutory and third sector partners, including some of the following organisations:

  • West Lothian Women's Aid
  • Police Scotland
  • NHS Lothian
  • West Lothian Council 
  • DASAT Domestic & Sexual Assault Team 
  • Education 
  • Housing Department
  • Social Work Services
  • Child Protection Services
  • West Lothian College
  • Wellbeing Scotland

Guiding Principles

The guiding principles which underpin the work of the West Lothian Gender Based Violence Committee are:

  • Prevention - to prevent, remove or diminish the risk of violence against women and its impact on children and young people
  • Protection - to protect women from victimisation, repeat victimisation or harassment by perpetrators and protect the children and young people affected
  • Provision - to provide adequate services to deal with the consequences of violence against women and children to help them rebuild their lives
  • Participation - to ensure policy making and practice development around violence against women is shaped by the experiences, needs and views of those who use services.

Definition of Violence Against Women

West Lothian Gender Based Violence Committee understands violence against women as a cause and consequence of the social inequalities which exist between men and women.

It recognises that violence against women, children and young people can take many forms and that some women, children and young people may experience different and/or multiple forms of male violence over their lifetime. 

The supports the West Lothian Gender Based Violence Committeee following Scottish Government definition of violence against women:

Violence against women encompasses but is not limited to the following:

"Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, within the general community, or in institutions including: domestic abuse; rape; sexual assault; stalking and sexual harassment and intimidation at work and in the public sphere; commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution, trafficking and pornography; child sexual abuse and adult survivors of child sexual abuse; dowry related violence; female genital mutilation; forced and child marriages and 'so called honour crimes."