The No Excuse Violence against Women Partnership Strategy 2008-2013 is being launched in Edinburgh today Wednesday, 3 December) in a bid to raise awareness of the issue in the lead up to the festive season.

After the festivities are over, more women come forward to report violent crimes than at any other time of the year and one of the key principles of the new strategy is to raise the level of public understanding of the issue. A campaign will be launched in January to increase knowledge of violence against women as part of creating a climate where all forms of violence against women are no longer tolerated.

As well as awareness raising the other key principles of the new strategy are to improve services which address violence against women, increase reporting and improve the sharing of violence against women information.

The strategy builds on the work of the two previous strategies and has been designed to incorporate national priorities with local needs. The new strategy now fits in with the wider Edinburgh Violence Reduction programme.

Local developments since the launch of the last strategy include the opening of Amethyst, the multi-agency rape and sexual assault suite, the development of the Working with Men project and the Getting it Right for Children project.

Councillor Paul Edie, Chair of the Edinburgh Community Safety Partnership, said: "Our mission is for women to live free from violence and abuse. Violence against women is an area which suffers acutely from under reporting and it is difficult to fully gauge the extent of the problem. Everyone has the right to live without fear of violence and abuse and this will be the clear message of our campaign in January."

Superintendent Ramzan Mohayuddin of Lothian and Borders Police, who takes the Lead on Violence for Edinburgh, said: "The physical, emotional and psychological consequences of violence and abuse can be profound and damaging to both women and their dependents.

"The aim of the Edinburgh Violence Reduction Programme is to provide a co-ordinated and consistent approach to support woman and to create an environment that is safe for them to come forward to report a crime.

"Lothian and Borders Police fully supports this Strategy and it will work with all of the partners involved to raise awareness of this important and sensitive issue."

Lesley Johnston, NHS Lothian and Chair of the Violence Against Women Partnership, said: "Agenda based violence is a pressing public health issue which has huge implications for those affected and for the majority of public services within Scotland. The Violence Against women partnership works within a multi agency context to raise awareness of the extent and impact of violence against women and to ensure appropriate services and protection for those affected and also to hold the perpetrators to account."

Councillor Paul Edie, Chair of the Community Safety Partnership, Lesley Johnston, NHS Lothian and Chair of the Violence Against Women Partnership and Superintendent Ramzan Mohayuddin of Lothian and Borders Police, who takes the Lead on Violence for Edinburgh are available for interview on request.