Hansard

It is a privilege to join the debate and to celebrate the upcoming international women’s day, which is next week. I have been fortunate enough to have lived and worked in several parts of the world, including Bosnia, Afghanistan and the middle east, where I have seen women’s positions in society vary immensely.

International women’s day is, of course, about celebration. It is about celebrating what women have achieved and what progress we continue to see in all areas of gender equality not only in Scotland but in countries across the globe. However, it is also about advocating for what still needs to be done to raise awareness of the barriers that still exist for women and girls in sport, health, the economy and politics, to name just a few areas, and to tackle those barriers head on with practical and loud change.

Our theme for this year, each for equal, centres on the idea that equality is an advantage not just for women but for everyone. As the UN phrased it:

“Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and, therefore, also half of its potential.”

For communities and wider economies to witness the growth and productivity that they need to develop, that potential must be recognised and utilised at every level.

Employment opportunities for women in the UK have gradually widened over the years. Indeed, since 1971, there has been an increase of almost 70 per cent in the number of women in employment. Across more and more companies, we are witnessing a rise in more progressive workplace cultures that emphasise that a flexible working environment attracts a more diverse and talented workforce. An increasing number of women are starting their own micro businesses and creating their own career paths with greater independence. As far back as the 1980s, the British Army, through the Bett report, recognised the careers that wives had while married to an Army husband and how they could be encouraged in military life later on. That was successfully implemented.

Yet, despite those advances, barriers for women in the workplace continue to exist. For example, Close the Gap has referred to the gendered “part-time effect” whereby more women are in lower-paid and often undervalued part-time positions. Moreover, the underrepresentation of women of colour, those with disabilities and those from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community continues to be a pervasive problem.

Recognising the problem is part of the solution. For instance, the United Kingdom was one of the first countries to implement gender pay gap reporting, which requires private and voluntary sector employers with 250 or more employees to publish their gender pay gap every year. That goes further than the argument of equal pay for equal work. Mapping the performance of industries and regions indicates the wider socioeconomic factors that limit women’s contribution to the community and the economy. From that, employers can be held to account and communities can have a greater understanding of how inequalities have taken root and can be addressed.

It is vital that women are included in the decision-making process as strong and welcome participators. Underlying and long-held perceptions concerning women’s involvement are at best unhelpful and at worst incredibly damaging to efforts to increase their visibility.

Aside from in the workplace, which has been my focus so far, we still see inequality and discrimination across too many sectors, spanning many different countries. That is evident in stereotypes, conscious or unconscious; in policies and laws that serve to restrict and limit women; and in societal expectations and traditions. Countries that support gender equality in their constitutions are, of course, not immune to those issues.

It has been encouraging to see strides made in Scottish politics to bring us closer to equal gender representation, and it has been inspiring to read about the range of events that will take place across Scotland next week for this year’s international women’s day, including in my region of West Scotland. For example, Glasgow will hold an international women’s day bike ride and its university will shine a light on women in science. Dumbarton library will host an event titled “Where are the Women?”, which will look at the many stories of women throughout history who were deserving of, yet deprived of, streets and statues honouring their name and legacy.

International women’s day is not just about pausing to reflect and advocate for one day of the year; it must go beyond that. Each for equal means that it will take everyone—a truly collective effort—to champion and support women in innovative and visible ways. It is not a problem solely for the few; we all have a shared responsibility to fix it.