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£20.3 million to tackle inequality and discrimination across Scotland.

Scottish projects to address inequality, tackle discrimination and progress equality across Scotland will benefit from Scottish Government funding of £20.3 million this year.

More than 220 projects across Scotland will receive funding from the Equality Budget to support strategic and community work and frontline services.

The overall budget was announced by the Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil during a visit to Glasgow’s Women’s Library which has been awarded funding of £72,524 this year, an increase of £20,000 from last year. This will help the library work towards national library status.

Speaking at the library, Mr Neil said:

“The Scottish Government Equality Budget demonstrates our commitment to tackle inequality and help those who are the most disadvantaged and the most discriminated against in our communities.

“We are committed to working with key agencies and organisations to ensure we protect the most vulnerable groups in our society. This funding helps do this.

“We will be supporting a range of strategic and community work and, most importantly, fund frontline services to address inequality, tackle discrimination and progress equality across Scotland.”

The largest amount of funding will go towards work to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls, in total £11.8 million for 2015-16. The reminder of the Equality Budget has been allocated to projects which will work to progress equality across Scotland to remove barriers and ensure a fairer, more equal country for all.

Notes To Editors

The Equality Budget has been set at £20.3 million for each year of the spending review period 2012-15, and will remain the same in 2015-16.

Funding for Violence Against Women work from the Equality Budget has increased from £11.5 million to £11.8 million. This increase will support work around female genital mutilation (FGM) and helping women exit prostitution.