The 2009 Rape Crisis Centre Conference in Glasgow

The Rape Crisis Centre in Glasgow will be hosting its annual one day conference on 11th March 2009 which will be on the issue of intimate partner sexual violence.

‘For Better or Worse?’
Intimate Partner Sexual Violence In 1989, just twenty years ago, rape in marriage was recognised as a crime in Scotland. In 2001, the then Scottish Executive launched the National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland and included sexual abuse within its definition of domestic abuse, but intimate partner sexual violence has continued to be one of the most invisible abuses of women.
On the day the conference will be chaired by Mhairi McGowan who is a Director of the Rape Crisis Centre and is also Service Manager with ASSIST, which provides information, support and advocacy to survivors of domestic abuse involved with the specialist domestic abuse court in Glasgow.
The aim of the conference is to raise awareness about levels of intimate partner sexual violence and to discuss this issue. Our speakers will be:
Louise McOrmand-Plummer who will be speaking to the conference by video link from Australia. Louise is co-author, with Dr Patricia Easteal of the book ‘Real Rape, Real Pain: Help for Women Sexually Assaulted by Male Partners’ and has also developed survivor website ‘Aphrodite Wounded’ www.aphroditewounded.org
Lily Greenan has been active in the women’s movement since 1981, working in Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre as an unpaid and then paid worker from 1981 to 1992. In 1999, she moved to the role of Project Manager for the EVA Project. For the last three years she has been the manager of Scottish Women’s Aid. She is the author of Violence Against Women: a literature review, published by the Scottish Executive in 2005.
Sandy Brindley is the national coordinator for Rape Crisis Scotland. She has been involved in the advisory groups for 2 major legal reviews in Scotland – the Crown Office review of the the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences, and the Scottish Law Commission review of the law on sexual offences. Sandy was heavily involved in the development of the recent Scotland wide public awareness campaign challenging attitudes to rape – ‘this is not an invitation to rape me’ www.thisisnotaninvitationtorapeme.co.uk
Evan Stark, Ph.D, MSW is a forensic social worker who is internationally known for his research on domestic violence and his advocacy on behalf of abused women and their children. He has been consulted with numerous federal and state agencies, and won a number of prestigious awards for his research and advocacy. His most recent book, ‘Coercive Control: The Entrapment of Women in Personal Life’ (Oxford University Press) was named the best book in sociology and social work for 2007 by the American Publishers’ Association.
Places at this event are limited so if you are interested in attending, please contact Ruth Evans on ruth@rapecrisiscentre-glasgow.co.uk and we will ensure that places will be reserved for you.

The cost of this conference will be:
•    Statutory organisations: £150.00
•    Academic bodies: £100.00
•    Voluntary Organisations: £ 75.00
Fees will include lunch and all refreshments plus all conference papers.