Hundreds of women from diverse backgrounds will gather in the Scottish Parliament today at a conference to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The conference, which is an annual event, aims to celebrate women’s achievements and increase the participation and involvement of women in influencing policy.
Deputy Presiding Officer Elaine Smith MSP, who will chair the event, said: “I am looking forward to welcoming women from across Scotland to the Parliament to celebrate their many achievements and to give recognition to the role that women play in society. Every year, I am impressed by the inspirational stories of women who are given a platform at this event to share their experiences from their own unique perspective.”
The Scottish Parliament has held an event to mark International Women’s Day every year since 2005. The event is organised by the Scottish Women’s Convention, which works to develop ways to ensure women can influence the strategies and policies which affect them. The SWC has a network of over 300,000 women, including women in business, churches, trades unions and voluntary organisations.
This year’s speakers include:
- Agnes Tolmie – Chair of the Scottish Women’s Convention and an active campaigner in the women’s movement for over thirty years.
- Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP – First Minister.
- Saima Lawson – student and mother;
- Emma Park – member of the Young Voices for Change Group.
- Miriam O’Reilly, former BBC journalist and ageism campaigner; and
- Ruth Wishart – journalist and broadcaster.
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