Dr Mary Hepburn, senior lecturer in women's reproductive health at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the Zero Tolerance Awards 2007.

She was recognised for her work with vulnerable women across Glasgow over the past 20 years.

Dr Hepburn said: 'I am very honoured, and surprised, to have been nominated for this award.

'Only fairly recently have the links between domestic abuse and pregnancy been formally identified and it is an area I have spent a long time working in.

'My main interest is in poverty, but poverty and violence go hand-in-hand.

'It can be very negative and stressful working with the cases we do, but an award like this shows that other think we am doing the right thing. 'This recognition is good

'The politicians don't like me saying this but poverty in Scotland is getting worse and the gap between the rich and poor is widening. I have watched it happen over the past two decades. 'An award like this can only highlight the dreadful situation many women find themselves in - and that is something we should all take notice of.'

Zero Tolerance is a charity that campaigns to prevent violence against women and children. Its annual awards ceremony this year will also honour newsreader Kirsty Wark and Arlene Gaffney of the Rape Crisis Centre. The awards ceremony took place in Glasgow on 19 May.

Dr Hepburn established the Glasgow Women's Reproductive Health Service in 1990 and has worked as an adviser for organisations, including the World Health Organisation, and recently set up a reproductive health service for disadvantaged women in Moldova.

Ray McHugh (r.mchugh@admin.gla.ac.uk)

First published: 24 May 2007