16 DAYS OF ACTION – RAISING AWARENESS OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
As the 16 days of action campaign gets underway, Erica Clark, Mental Health Coordinator at UHI Outer Hebrides, shares information on gender-based violence and how to access support.
Here to help
Student life can demanding as you try to balance home and study life, meet deadlines and find time to relax. Coping with these new challenges can have an impact on your mental health.
Your wellbeing is a priority for student services and, before we go any further, we want to remind you that you don’t have to cope with these issues alone. Our student services team can offer advice and support on a range of issues.
16 days of action campaign
UHI is participating in the global 16 days of action campaign to raise awareness of gender-based violence, from Friday 25 November to Friday 9 December. During the 16 days, we will be sharing videos and stories on our social media and displays on campus. We know that this topic can be triggering. If you want to access any support during this time, we have provided a range of support services below.
What is gender-based violence?
The United Nations describes gender-based violence as ‘harmful acts directed at an individual based on their gender’. Gender-based violence is a term that covers a range of abuse and can include domestic abuse, rape and sexual assault, child sexual abuse, stalking, sexual harassment and intimidation.
Gender-based violence is never the fault of the victim/ survivor and UHI is committed to supporting any student who is a victim/ survivor of gender-based violence, regardless of their gender, sex, or sexual orientation.
Gender-based violence can affect anyone at any point during their lives. It affects people in different ways, but it can often lead to victim/ survivors feeling alone, isolated, angry and worried. It can also lead to depression, anxiety, flashbacks, sleep problems, problems with eating and being unable to concentrate.
Getting support
Whether you’ve experienced gender-based violence recently or in the past, UHI is here to support you to take whichever steps you want to take next. We understand that these experiences can be extremely isolating, frightening and upsetting. We are committed to ensuring that our campuses are a safe place and that we support students to achieve their full potential.
You can find out more about the support available on our gender based and sexual violence webpages.
You can also access support through the TogetherAll and Spectrum Life (call 0800 031 8227 or WhatsApp / SMS: 00353 87 369 0010) services.