Gender-based violenceEqually Safe at Strathclyde Group

What we do

The Group leads and oversees the University’s strategy to understand and tackle gender-based violence (GBV) prevalent within our University and wider communities. The Group has evolved from the Equally Safe in Higher Education Project Group (ESHE), a two-year pilot project initially funded by the Scottish Government in 2016-2018 , which successfully delivered the ESHE research, sector recommendations and Toolkit.  

It continues the commitment to support the implementation of Equally Safe, the Scottish Government’s national policy for the prevention and elimination of Violence against Women and Girls. The work of the Group responds to sector developments and builds upon the University’s TransEDU research and drives forward the EmilyTest GBV Charter.   

The Group meets three times each year and reports to the Safeguarding Committee and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. For more information, please email the Chair of the Group, Dr Stephanie McKendry (Deputy Director Student Experience) stephanie.mckendry@strath.ac.uk.

Equally Safe Action Plan 2025-29 

We formally launched our 4-year Equally Safe Action plan at an event during 16 Days of Activism against GBV on 25 November 2025. This plan consolidates and strengthens work already underway across the University, bringing together existing commitments from Athena Swan, the EmilyTest Charter, Suicide Safer, Safe360°™, and other ongoing initiatives, and aligning with the five themes of our Equality Outcomes. It also introduces new actions that respond to emerging needs and the voices of our students and staff.

 

Equally Safe at Strathclyde Group remit: 

  1. Provide strategic oversight to the University’s GBV-related policies, procedures and projects  
  2. Advocate for best practice/excellence in relation to GBV policies, procedures and activities and promote GBV activity as an institutional priority  
  3. Provide critical scrutiny of the University’s GBV activities, policies and procedures  
  4. Undertake a thematic working group approach to identify, respond to, and inform strategy and implementation activity  
  5. Lead and oversee the implementation of the Emily Test Charter and other relevant sector and national campaigns, charters and strategies  
  6. Enable the University to establish links with relevant external organisations  
  7. Provide advice to the Safe360°Group and related staff and student committees  
  8. Monitor, evaluate and report on the Rape Crisis provision on campus.  

Emily Test GBV Charter

We are proud to work in partnership with the Emily Test to tackle gender-based violence in universities.

Having participated in the pilot development of their GBV Charter in 2020-21, we were one of the first universities to be awarded the Charter in September 2024. We successfully completed our first annual review in October 2025.