White Ribbon Scotland

24/09/2026

12/08/2026

Two women have lost their lives in the space of 7 Days.

Children have lost their mothers.

Two families have had their lives shattered forever.

And because both men are dead, neither family will ever see a criminal trial.

Stacy Mair and Vikki Soloman should both still be here.
These are not just headlines. They were mothers, daughters, sisters, friends. They had futures. They were loved. And now their families are left with unimaginable grief.

In Stacy Mair’s case, it has been reported that her estranged husband had appeared in court on domestic abuse charges and was granted bail with conditions not to contact or approach her. It has also been reported that those conditions were breached before her death.

In Vikki Soloman’s case, she was also killed by a former partner. Vikki’s loved ones have been left devastated, in shock, grieving. Because the man accused of her murder died before a trial could take place, they will never see the case heard in court. While the details of each case are different, both tragedies highlight the devastating reality of violence against women and the urgent need to do more to protect those at risk.

That raises a question that women across Scotland are asking today:

How are men accused of domestic abuse being granted bail when the women they are accused of abusing are left fearing for their lives?

Women are told to report abuse.

Women are told to leave their abuser.

Women are told to trust the systems.

But what happens when they do everything they’re asked to do and they’re still not safe?

Women’s safety cannot be an afterthought. Bail decisions, risk assessments, and the enforcement of protective conditions must put victims first.

This is not about denying anyone the right to a fair trial. It is about asking whether our justice system is doing enough to protect women when there are already serious concerns for their safety.

How many more women must die before protecting victims becomes the priority?

We cannot keep accepting this as normal.

We cannot keep reading the same heartbreaking headlines and promising to “learn lessons” after another woman has been killed.

Our thoughts are with both families affected by this tragedy. We are so sorry.

Today, we remember Stacy Mair and Vikki Soloman.

Tomorrow, we must demand better.

Because women should not have to die before their safety is taken seriously.

Enough is enough.

11/08/2026

When does a pattern become impossible to ignore?

According to the Scottish Government’s Homicide in Scotland 2024–25 report, 41% of female homicide victims over the last decade were killed by a current or former partner. In the latest reporting year, that figure rose to 47% – nearly half of all female homicide victims.

These are not isolated tragedies.

They are not random acts of violence.

They are part of a pattern.

A pattern of men’s violence against women.

Behind every statistic is a woman whose life mattered. A mother. A daughter. A sister. A friend. A colleague. A neighbour.

Abuse does not always end when a relationship ends. For many women, leaving is often the most dangerous time.

The evidence is no longer asking us to pay attention.

It’s asking us to act.

That means believing women when they tell us they are afraid.

Holding perpetrators accountable.

Challenging the attitudes and behaviours that enable abuse.

Investing in prevention, not just responding after another life has been taken.

Women should not have to lose their lives before we listen.

Because every woman has the right to live free from violence.

If you or anyone you know needs help, please reach out, North Ayrshire Women’s Aid is here for you. Call us on 01294 602 424, or pop into our hub – 17 Vernon Street, Saltcoats, KA21 5HE.

11/08/2026

ABUSE RARELY BEGINS WITH HOMICIDE.

It often begins with control.

Then intimidation.

Isolation.

Threats.

Escalation.

Sometimes stalking.

Sometimes repeated assaults.

These aren’t isolated incidents.

They’re warning signs.

Too often, they’re dismissed as “relationship issues” or treated as separate events, when they may be part of a pattern of escalating abuse.

Research by criminologist Professor Jane Monckton Smith has shown that intimate partner homicide is often preceded by recognisable patterns of coercive control and escalating behaviour.

These tragedies, in many cases are not "out of the blue” but the culmination of an escalating pattern of abuse.

That’s why every decision matters.

When someone with a history of coercive control, violence, stalking, or repeated breaches is granted bail, the question shouldn’t only be:

“Can they be released?”

It should also be:

“Has the risk been fully understood and managed?”

Bail is a fundamental part of our justice system, and everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence. But recognising escalating risk and protecting those at greatest danger should be just as fundamental.

We don’t need hindsight to recognise many warning signs.

We need systems that respond before another life is lost.

Because prevention doesn’t begin after a homicide.

It begins the first time someone says,

“I’m scared.”

And we choose to listen.

💜 Every warning sign matters. Every risk assessment matters. Every life matters.

Enough is enough.

11/08/2026

The more we listen to women, the more we understand what is happening. The better informed we become, the more effective men can be as allies, role models and active bystanders.
Male violence and abuse against women is too prevalent in our society for us to think that it has nothing to do with us. It starts with being vocal about our opposition to it. It ends when we all stand up against it. There is a role for men in making our society a better one; for our mothers, sisters, friends, colleagues and daughters. In so doing we also make a better society for men to live in too, one where we can be ourselves and know that we help bring about change.
Violence against women is not inevitable unless we ignore it!

She left him.

Everyone told her:

“You’re free now.”

She wanted to believe them.

She changed her locks.

Changed her passwords.

Blocked his number.

She stopped going to the places they used to go together.

She told herself she could finally start living again.

Then the messages started.

“I just want to talk.”

She blocked him.

Another number appeared.

Then another.

He started contacting her friends.

Turning up places he knew she’d be.

Sending messages through people she hadn’t spoken to in years.

Then came the social media requests from accounts she didn’t recognise.

He knew things he shouldn’t have known.

Where she’d been.

Who she’d been with.

When she’d finished work.

She started wondering who was telling him.

She stopped posting online.

Changed her routine.

Started looking over her shoulder again.

Not because she wanted to.

Because she was frightened.

She had left the relationship.

But the control hadn’t stopped.

And this is something we need to talk about more.

Leaving doesn’t always mean the abuse ends.

Sometimes it changes shape.

It can become stalking.

Harassment.

Threats.

Unwanted contact.

Digital monitoring.

Financial abuse.

Using friends, family or other people to maintain contact.

The relationship may be over.

But the abuse can continue.

So when someone asks:

“Why didn’t she just leave?”

Perhaps we should also ask:

“What happens when she does?”

Because leaving takes courage.

Rebuilding takes time.

And freedom means more than walking away.

It means being able to live your life without someone still trying to control it.

Sadly, this is the reality for many women.

Leaving should mean freedom. It shouldn't mean learning to live with a different kind of fear.

It shouldn't be this way.

💜 Enough is enough.

Illustrative story reflecting experiences of post-separation abuse. Every survivor’s experience is different.

11/07/2026

Many thanks to the team from our Fife White Ribbon Status Project for setting up a stall at this terrific event. Learn more about the Fife WR campaign by checking out their section of our website. WhiteRibbonScotland.org.uk

20/06/2026

Tonight a group of women staff members from HMP Addiewell are sleeping out in individual sleep pods to raise funds in support of our campaign across Scotland.
We really appreciate their effort, and ask that you give what you can in appreciation of them, and in support of the men and women working across Scotland in our local White Ribbon Scotland Status Projects - reaching out to men and boys to bring about the attitudinal changes required to help end violence against women in all its forms.

Help Emilia Czarnecka raise money to support White Ribbon Campaign Scotland

19/04/2026

03/04/2026