Strathclyde launches online course to tackle violence against women around the world

New Delhi: The University of Strathclyde has launched a new online learning course aimed at tackling the global issue of violence against women.

The free ‘massive open online course’ or MOOC, entitled ‘Understanding Violence Against Women: Myths and Realities’, aims to increase awareness of the subject and look at ways to address it.

Offered through the digital education platform Future Learn, the course has been developed with the help of funding from the Scottish Government and forms part of its Equally Safe strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls.

Roisin McGoldrick, one of the tutors on the course, said: “Violence against women is an all too common daily reality for girls and women throughout the world.

“This course aims to raise awareness and prompt discussion on how we might tackle violence against women in a holistic way – for example through schools, universities and workplaces.

“We hope it will appeal to a wide range of people. The course draws on Scottish policies but discusses the World Health Organisation view that violence against women is of epidemic proportion. The course looks at violence against women in its entirety – from physical violence to psychological abuse and coercive behaviour and financial control.

“It’s our hope the MOOC will form part of a suite of credit bearing courses at Undergraduate level and that we will develop a Masters level course in the future.”

The six-week course is open for registration now and starts on 18 September. Sign up via the Future Learn website: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/understanding-violence-against-women/1