News / Women call for societal shift in Shetland after survey highlights abuse, misogyny and harassment
More than half of respondents to Shetland Women’s Aid survey had experienced gender-based violence
MORE THAN half of the women surveyed by Shetland Women’s Aid (SWA) in a new poll say they have been affected by gender-based violence in Shetland.
One woman said she “can’t count the amount of times she has been sexually abused” in the isles, adding: “Being a woman in Shetland is hell on earth”.
Of the 30 women who said they had been affected by gender-based violence, only half sought support.
And just eight women said they had chosen to report their experience to the police – meaning over 70 per cent had decided not to.
Fifty four per cent of those surveyed also said they faced discrimination in the isles as a result of being a woman.
SWA carried out the two week long Shetland-wide survey in November 2024 and has released the results today (Friday), ahead of International Women’s Day tomorrow.
The charity is now calling on local changemakers and the wider community to take urgent action.
Many of the 58 respondents to the survey described a “persistent fear of harassment, domestic abuse, and sexual violence”.
“Most women reported feeling safe on the streets but expressed concerns about safety at public events and within their own homes,” SWA found.
“This highlights the fact that gender-based violence is more likely to be perpetrated by someone they know, rather than a stranger.”
SWA said the “issue of Shetland’s ‘drinking culture’ is apparent” in the responses.
One woman said that Shetland’s pubs were not a safe space for them “unless you just ‘go along with’ all the sexual jokes and harassment”.
“It’s become so normal that it’s not even seen as a problem,” they added.
Another wrote that there is a “real problem with a certain generation of men in Shetland around consent and boundaries with women”.
“I don’t know a single woman who hasn’t been either harassed, assaulted, spiked, stalked or followed home at night,” they said.
Up Helly Aa was referenced often, SWA said, in reference to “the acceptance of misogyny in Shetland”.
“While several women acknowledged recent changes to ‘allow’ women into Lerwick UHA’s main event as positive progress, it was seen by many as not good enough,” the report found.
“Several respondents said that change must start with girls being included in the Junior Jarl Squad.”
Asked why people may not choose to report incidents of gender-based violence to the police, many women cited a fear of not being believed or said their abuser was part of their close community.
One woman said: “Shetland has a small community and there is a lot of prejudice and gossip which influences people’s attitudes and actions.”
Another said she did not want people to think she was “overreacting”.
Respondents were also asked what the greatest benefits of being a woman in Shetland were, with “many answering ‘none’.”
However others said there were a number of “successful, strong women in Shetland” that it was great to be among and inspired by.
Another said there were a “huge amount of trailblazers” who “want things to be better for future generations”.
In its suggestions for change, SWA and its respondents say prevention education and a cultural shift among the people of Shetland are urgently needed.
“There were calls to educate children from a young age on harmful gender stereotypes, consent, and equality, both at home and school,” SWA said.
“Many respondents acknowledged that specialist education in Shetland already exists, however schools, workplaces and organisations must make better use of the knowledge available to them.”
SWA also said that the community “must support survivors of gender-based violence better” and avoid “gossip and victim-blaming”.
“There were pleas to stop publicly supporting known perpetrators of GBV, allowing there to be little consequences for their actions,” it added.
Men were urged to stop being “active bystanders”, and to challenge inappropriate or threatening behaviour from other men.
“There were suggestions to encourage ‘prominent local men’ such as elected members, to speak out against misogynistic behaviour,” SWA said.
“There was an acknowledgment that there are many good men in Shetland, but to actually be good men, they must call out harmful behaviours amongst their peers, and this can be difficult in a small community.”
And the police were also asked to “better prioritise responses to sexual violence and domestic abuse”, and to “make it clear to the public that they want to hear from victims”.
You can read the full report and findings here.
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