The First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG) is urging people in Edinburgh to get involved in the national conversation around tackling gender equality issues in relation to mental health.
Gender roles and expectations have particular mental health consequences for women and girls and the current COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated many of these pressures. Unpaid care work, juggling work commitments and social media pressures are just some of the factors triggering more women and girls to suffer from anxiety, depression, eating disorders and self harm.
The Advisory Council will examine what needs to change to offer greater support to women and girls and take a feminist approach to self-care as well as determine what actions are needed to improve gender equality in relation to mental health.
The NACWG was established in 2017 to play a leading role in raising the issue of gender inequality on Scotland’s agenda by drawing attention to a wide range of issues faced by women and girls. Putting a spotlight on a new theme on a bi-monthly basis, the Advisory Council aims to bring people together and create discussion on many issues still faced by women and girls in Scotland today.
The NACWG is putting a Spotlight on Mental Health until the end of December to understand the emotional and psychological challenges faced by women and girls, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Louise Macdonald OBE, Co-Chair of The NACWG, said: “While we have seen the stigma around discussing mental health decrease in recent years, things like access to support services remain an issue for many.
“Poor mental health can prevent women and girls from reaching their full potential, therefore, it’s important they feel supported, particularly during these unprecedented times.
“The Advisory Council is inviting groups, organisations and networks in Edinburgh, to share their experiences, opinions and ideas around the Mental Health Spotlight. Every bit of feedback will help to gather more insight and help to drive action in creating long-lasting change for women and girls in Scotland.”
To participate in this national conversation, groups, organisations and networks are encouraged to form a virtual Wee Circle to discuss issues surrounding inequalities in mental health and share ideas on how this can be tackled.
Feedback from these Wee Circle discussions, as well as individual feedback, can be submitted online at onescotland.org/NACWG.
Thoughts can also be shared on social media using the hashtag #GenerationEqual.
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