Scottish school pupils will receive more support to challenge misogyny and promote respect, as the Scottish Government announces plans for a new fund and a refreshed campaign backed by leading sporting organisations.
The First Minister has announced a series of measures aimed at tackling violence against women and girls in Scotland, including up to an additional £1 million for education programmes and a renewed campaign encouraging men to challenge harmful attitudes and behaviour.
The proposed Respect Fund for Scotland will support high school pupils to reject misogyny through third-sector programmes, while primary school children will receive age-appropriate learning about respect.
The additional funding is expected to be invested from the 2027/28 financial year, as part of a wider package of action to tackle misogyny and promote positive masculinity.
The announcement also includes a new phase of the Don’t Be That Guy campaign, which was initially launched by Police Scotland in 2021. The campaign gained international attention for encouraging men to challenge attitudes and behaviours that contribute to violence against women and girls.
The refreshed campaign will be backed by the Scottish Government and leading sporting organisations, with prominent sportsmen helping to promote messages of respect.
Scottish Rugby, the Scottish Football Association and Tennis Scotland are among the organisations supporting the initiative. Sporting figures involved include Scotland rugby players Jamie Dobie and Grant Gilchrist, and tennis player Connor Thomson.
Other organisations working with the Scottish Government include the SPFL and SPFL Trust, Scottish Cycling, Scottish Swimming, Scottish Athletics, Scottish Golf and Team Scotland.
The involvement of sporting bodies is intended to help reach wider audiences and encourage positive action, particularly around the role men and boys can play in challenging misogyny.
The measures form part of the First Minister’s wider commitment to tackling violence against women and girls. This includes a pledge to introduce a Misogyny Bill before the 2027 summer recess.
The Respect Fund will focus on education and prevention, with school-based learning intended to help young people recognise and reject misogynistic attitudes before they become more deeply established.
The campaign, meanwhile, aims to reinforce the message that preventing violence against women and girls is not solely the responsibility of those affected, but also requires men to challenge harmful behaviour among their peers.
Together, the announcements represent a combination of education, public campaigning and proposed legislation in the Scottish Government’s approach to tackling misogyny.
The additional funding is planned for 2027/28, while the Misogyny Bill is expected to be introduced before the summer recess in 2027. Further details of how the Respect Fund will be delivered are not included in the announcement.
First Minister John Swinney recently said: ‘Violence against women and girls is completely deplorable and has no place in the Scotland we are building. I am determined we do all we can to tackle it and ensure men change their behaviours.
‘People of all ages need to feel able to talk openly to their male friends and colleagues about behaviour that is misogynistic and damaging to women, and contributes to a culture that targets, minimises and harms women and girls.
‘This funding will help empower pupils to challenge the attitudes that help perpetuate harmful behaviour, backed by the refreshed Don’t Be That Guy campaign – which will use the reach and influence of some of Scotland’s most well-known sporting personalities, to give prominence to this important national conversation.
‘I want Scotland to be a place where women and girls live free from violence, coercive control, abuse and exploitation, which is why over the coming year this government will also bring forward a Misogyny Bill to give women and girls specific legal protection from harassment.’
Photo: Ansis Kančs
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