Nicola Sturgeon

Talat Yaqoob, co-founder of Women 5050, the national campaign for fair representation of women in politics and public life and Anna Ritchie Allan, executive director of Close the Gap have been appointed to co-chair the next phase of the First Minister’s National Advisory Council for Women and Girls (NACWG).

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I look forward to working with Talat and Anna on the challenges they set for us in phase two to build on the dynamic recommendations made by the Advisory Council in phase one and to further our work to tackle gender inequality in every aspect of life, in every corner of Scotland.”

Ms Yaqoob said: “Having been part of the Advisory Council since its inception, I know that the recommendations made were done so with the genuine intention to improve the lives of women and girls in Scotland. With the content of all three annual reports accepted and supported, it’s now time to ensure these changes are put into action to make this intention into a reality. Without this, they are just hopeful words on paper.

“Over Phase Two, we’ll be focusing on two things, accountability and participation. We will be challenging Government and beyond to deliver these recommendations effectively and pushing for the needs of marginalised women to be at the centre of design and implementation.”

Ms Ritchie Allan added: “The NACWG recommendations are bold and wide-ranging, and accountability is necessary to drive systemic change. The work comes at a critical time, as Covid-19 has magnified women’s and girls’ inequality. The accountability phase creates an opportunity to do things differently, to ensure that the Scottish Government delivers on its commitments around gender equality. Our recommendations are a starting point for change, but effective implementation is needed if change is to be meaningful for marginalised women and girls.”