Equally Safe Ministerial Group: terms of reference

Purpose

Violence Against Women and Girls is a blight on society and should be eradicated. Our cross-portfolio refreshed Equally Safe Strategy (2023), which is built on collaboration seeks to address this critical issue. Equally Safe sets the vision of a strong and flourishing Scotland where all individuals are equally safe and respected, and where women and girls live free from all forms of violence and abuse – and the attitudes that help perpetuate it.

Equally Safe was developed by the Scottish Government and COSLA in association with a wide range of partners from public and third sector organisations. The aim of Equally Safe is to work collaboratively with key partners across all sectors to prevent and eradicate all forms of violence against women and girls.

The Equally Safe Ministerial Group (ESMG) brings together Scottish Government ministers from a range of portfolios to ensure a joined-up approach delivers real progress on our commitments under Equally Safe. The ESMG will play a key strategic role in the governance arrangements for Equally Safe by offering Ministerial leadership to the overall delivery of the refreshed Equally Safe Strategy (2023) and the actions flowing from it.

The group will support the Scottish Government’s coordination role as part of the Equally Safe governance arrangements. It will provide strategic direction on issues and matters raised by the Joint Strategic Board, which is co-chaired by Minister for Equalities and Cllr. Chalmers, the COSLA spokesperson for Community Wellbeing, as they relate to their portfolios.

Arrangements for meetings

• members will meet bi-annually, in person or online as agreed, and should be prepared to discuss Equally Safe commitments, Equally Safe Delivery Plan (2024) deliverables/ actions or anything that may be connected
• timing of the meetings will align will with the Equally Safe Joint Strategic Board, that the Minister for Equalities co-chairs with COSLA’s Communities & Wellbeing spokesperson, Cllr Maureen Chalmers
• meeting duration will be set at 1.5 hours, but longer meetings can be arranged if the agenda requires
• the meeting will have a focus on discussion between Ministers around the agenda items, which will be centred on the delivery of Equally Safe commitments
• members should have an awareness of the Delivery Plan deliverables and actions being led from within the portfolios they are responsible for
• secretariat support to the meeting will be performed by the VAWG Equalities Team. This role will include the preparation of the agenda, circulation of papers and note taking
• a meeting note of key points and actions will be recorded as required

Responsibilities

The aims of the group:

• to ensure that Equally Safe Delivery Plan deliverables and actions are being progressed across portfolios
• to ensure Equally Safe is fully considered across policy areas and that a cross-portfolio working continues to happen
• to ensure that violence against women and girls and its causes are considered in policy development and delivery; and, that actions are identified and funded as part of portfolio priorities
• to discuss and act on relevant matters raised at the Equally Safe Joint Strategic Board and other meetings
• to provide strategic direction to officials taking forward Equally Safe priorities and actions
• to discuss and agree on Equally Safe priorities that sit within Ministers’ portfolios and to ensure progress is made
• to identify opportunities to work across portfolios to increase impact of actions
• identify and agree cross-portfolio resource as necessary
• to ensure that portfolio teams, when taking forward actions under Equally Safe, are mindful of the underlying collaborative aims of Equally Safe