International Womens Day – Page 2 – The NEN

Samba queen hangs up her whistle

AFTER 30 years pioneering the women’s Samba movement in Scotland, Beat That’s musical director, Erin Scrutton, is hanging up her whistle.

One of Scotland’s longest-running Samba bands, Beat That, is winding up too, going out with a bang at COP26 on Saturday 6 November 2021, playing in the parade for the Extinction Rebellion campaigners.

CALL TO SAMBA SISTERS 

Beat That is putting out a call to women Samba players, past and present, to join in the finale celebrations at COP26. Samba sisters are invited to sign up on the band’s team site (https://teamer.net/p/fbWeZgnIPx7Zslron) to join in.

They will be sent music files to listen to and will be invited to join rehearsals in Stirling in October in preparation for the COP26 parade on 6 November.

Banging the drum for 30 years

Popular with programmers and gig organisers across Scotland, Beat That regularly led the annual Glasgow Style Mile Christmas Parade and played at the Merchant City and West End festivals. They have been stalwarts at Paisley’s Sma’ Shot and Hallowe’en festivals – always game for a dress-up.

Back home, in Stirling, each year Beat That took to the stage and streets in Stirling for events like Reclaim the Night to Hogmanay celebrations.

They’ve performed at festivals in Dublin, Berlin, London, Liverpool, Amsterdam, Italy and Spain.

A key part of the women’s movement and an expression of feminism, women’s Samba bands have featured in many International Women’s Day celebrations over the decades. To celebrate 100 Years of International Women’s Day, Erin led the drumming for an event called HumDrum when 70 women came together to sing and drum on the steps of Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, part of the Scottish Wave of Change.

Making a noise for women and LGBTQ+ rights

Erin, and women’s Samba bands, have played a key role in promoting the Pride movement in Scotland and abroad, celebrating LGBTQ+ people. Erin led She Boom, Scotland’s first women’s Samba band, opening the Stonewall celebrations at the Royal Albert Hall, sharing the bill with Elton John and George Michael.

Erin and drummers attended the Stonewall 25th anniversary celebrations in New York.

Beat That’s last foreign foray was leading the first Pride festival in Manilva in 2019 and they were booked to return when Lockdown hit and live events were put on ice in 2020. Beat That continued to play together right throughout Lockdown, keeping spirits high with a weekly practice for the two dozen women from central Scotland on Zoom.

A leader in her field

Erin led, kicked-off, composed music for and coached the leaders of women’s bands in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife, Aberdeen, Irvine, Dumfries and Stirling.

Erin Scrutton Samba leader

Over the years, Erin studied percussion in Brazil, Cuba, Salvador. A skilled player and composer, she has performed with Jools Holland, The Pet Shop Boys and Horse. She has taught thousands of beginners in community and corporate workshops and been a guest tutor for groups from the Isle of Wight to Ireland and Wales.

She has been MD with Stirling-based Beat That for 30 years and in that role has taught scores of women who have become part of the Beat That family and performed at festivals, parades and gigs from Belladrum to Berlin, Ireland to Italy.

Says Jenn Pow, the community group’s chair: “We were lucky to keep Erin as our leader for 30 years. She’s been a field-leader and built a career as a samba drummer when no such thing existed. We feel privileged that she stayed loyal to our group all these years.

“Erin is an amazing teacher – a patient and kind soul. Many of us would never have lasted this long without her. Being in the band has been one of the best things in my life.

“We’re a strong tribe and we’ve grown together, supporting each other through major milestones and life’s ups and downs. We’ve gone through births and deaths together… and many a party night. With Erin calling time, it just felt like the right time to hang up our sticks and wind up the group. It’s been a blast and I’ve made friends for life.”

Recognition and legacy

Erin has a shelf dedicated to her as part of Glasgow Women’s Library’s Women on the Shelf project, recognising all she has done to ignite the women’s drumming movement in Scotland.

Film-maker, Dianne Barrie, has been commissioned by the band to document the COP26 finale and capture stories that recall the essence of the 30 year wave of change.

The band is talking to Macrobert Arts Centre about how they might plug a gap and provide drumming classes going forward, to meet the creative, social and political desires of local women. The band is prepared to donate all its kit and Erin is prepared to donate all her compositions and music files to support passing on a legacy.

Why are women on course to have £100,000 less in their pension than men at retirement?

Let’s close the £100,000 #GenderPensionGap.

On average a woman in her twenties today is set to retire with £100,000 less in her pension than a man the same age. To make up the difference they’d have to start work a lot younger.

There a lots of reasons that the average 20 year old women is on course to have £100,000 less in her pension than a man the same age.

The amount people save into their pension is generally a percentage of their salary or income. So anything that reduces your income will directly affect your pension.

Women are more likely to face life events which negatively affect how they save for their retirement.

They’re more likely to take time out to raise a family, manage caring responsibilities, be in lower paid roles or work part time (75% of part time workers are women*).

The gender pay gap also plays it’s part so its really important to raise awareness around how these challenges can impact retirement planning, but we’re here to help and there are things you can do to help reduce the gender pension gap.

* Scottish Widows Women & Retirement Report 2020.

Gareth Shaw, Head of Money at Which?, said: “Our research has shown that women face significant disparities when it comes to saving for retirement, with mothers particularly at risk of retiring with smaller pensions – potentially tens of thousands less over their careers than men and women working full-time.

“To address this imbalance, the government should make a contribution to the pensions of first-time parents to ensure they can retire with an adequate pension pot.”

UK Coaching calls for gender parity within the coaching workforce

The lead charity for coaching in the UK is calling for more women to enter the coaching workforce.

UK Coaching exists to support and develop the nation’s three million coaches and is today outlining its ambition for gender equity within coaching, in the next five years.

Pre-pandemic, female coaches made up 43% of the workforce, down from 46% in 2017. And this number may continue to fall upon return to play, as it is anticipated that only 50% of coaches are expected to return to paid positions.

In the last year proactive measures have been put in place in a bid to increase the number of female high-performance coaches, who currently make up 10% of all performance coaching roles.

UK Sport recently launched their leadership programme in a bid to double the representation of female coaches in the Olympic and Paralympic high-performance community by Paris 2024. The programme involves leading coaches mentoring a cohort of nineteen through a six-month course that aims to help them reach the top of their respective sports.

And to ensure talented coaches have the opportunity to join the high-performance pathway, UK Coaching has also recently introduced its own female leadership programme, working with national governing bodies to develop female coaches and elevate the positions of women in coaching across all sports at the base of the performance pathway.

The organisation is already working with Basketball England and the Rugby Football League to deliver bespoke courses.

Yet with UK Coaching’s research showing the importance of female role models and with activity levels amongst this group lower than that of their male counterparts, female coaches will be fundamental as the nation rebuilds after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emma Atkins, Director of Coaching at UK Coaching said: “We want to see more women come into coaching, be supported to stay in coaching and if it is their goal, progress to coaching in talent and high-performance sport.

“Gender equality in sport has made considerable strides in recent years but we must move towards a balanced coaching workforce – and that means showing women that coaching is for them.

“It is an incredibly rewarding experience. Coaching needs more female coaches and we are calling on sports organisations to work with us in our mission to achieve an equitable 50/50 split in the next five years.”

“Our research shows that it’s really important that when starting to get active, women and girls are more comfortable if their coach is the same gender. With the levels of inactivity amongst women and girls at a high, it is vital that we can encourage more females to join the coaching workforce.

“It has also been great to see a handful of female coaches breaking the glass ceiling and coaching at high-performance level across the world. We need to do more to ensure that this becomes common practice. For too long female coaches have been overlooked in high level sport.”

Mel Marshall, lead swimming coach at the National Centre Loughborough and long-time coach of Olympic champion Adam Peaty MBE, added: “For me it’s so important that female coaches have three things – role models, the confidence to know they can do the job and that they are given the right opportunities.

“I think women and girls have some fantastic coaching traits – we listen well, are diligent and we care – so it can only be a good thing to have more female coaches within sport and physical activity.

“The last year has had a huge impact on the nation’s activity levels so let’s get more women at the forefront and give them the platform to inspire the next generation of female coaches.”

To find out how you can get into coaching, or how UK Coaching can support gender equitability within your own coaching workforce, visit ukcoaching.org.

Heart of Scotland appeal teams up with Scottish Women in Sport to get the nation moving

The Heart of Scotland appeal, launched by national charity Heart Research UK, has partnered with Scottish Women in Sport (SWIS) in a bid to increase the activity levels of women across Scotland.

Every year, coronary heart disease, including heart attacks, kills around 2,600 women in Scotland – seven women every day.

The Heart of Scotland appeal was launched in 2019 to raise awareness of the problem of heart health in Scotland, as well as generating vital funds for pioneering research at Universities’ and hospitals across the country.

Coronary heart disease is Scotland’s single biggest killer, with lifestyle factors such as obesity and lack of exercise directly impacting upon a person’s risk.

In an effort to combat the statistic that more than a third of adults in Scotland do not achieve recommended levels of physical activity, the Heart of Scotland appeal has teamed up with SWIS to inspire women across Scotland to get more active.

Today, the Heart of Scotland Appeal and SWIS will be celebrating International Women’s Day by featuring inspirational video interviews with some of Scotland’s leading female athletes, including Hannah Rankin, Katie Archibald MBE, Jasmin Paris, Rebecca Sellar, Samantha Kinghorn and Rachel Corsie.

They will share their experiences of reaching the pinnacle of their respective sports and their advice for any young person wishing to follow in their footsteps.

Heart Research UK have collaborated on this latest campaign, which has been backed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, to highlight the relationship between an active lifestyle and a healthy heart whilst encouraging more women in Scotland to get active.

This is the second collaboration between Heart Research UK and Scottish Women in Sport who together produced a series of video interviews with four of the leading Scottish female researchers, academics and practitioners who have devoted their time and expertise to taking on heart disease for International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

Maureen McGonigle, Founder of Scottish Women in Sport, said: “It is a privilege to work with Heart Research UK, as they are such an established and passionate organisation.

“Together along with some of Scotland’s top sportswomen, we hope to raise awareness of the impact of heart disease on women, and hopefully encourage more women to get active and take on heart disease.”

Dr Helen Flaherty, head of Health Promotion and Education at Heart Research UK, said: “We all know how important it is to be active – it’s one of the best things we can do to improve our heart health.

“However, many people find it difficult to get motivated, or struggle to fit the recommended 150 minutes of exercise into a week.

“Women often find it difficult to engage with physical activity due to a lack of confidence and time. Through this partnership with SWIS, we hope to be able to encourage women all across Scotland to increase their activity levels, and also to encourage the next generation of Scottish sportswomen, as well as helping to reduce the gender gap in physical activity and sport.”

Women from Edinburgh’s present celebrate those from its past to mark International Women’s Day

Marking International Women’s Day 2021 curators from Museums & Galleries Edinburgh have taken the opportunity to shine a spotlight on a selection of fascinating women from Edinburgh’s past.

Running from 8th – 12th March the series profiles five pioneering women whose lives are reflected in the city’s history collections.

They include; Ella Morrison Millar (1869-1959) (above) Edinburgh’s first female Town Councillor chosen by chosen by History Curator, Victoria Garrington, Nannie (Agnes Henderson) Brown (1866 -1943), a prominent Edinburgh-born suffragist chosen by History Curator, Anna MacQuarrie; Lileen Hardy (1872-1947) who opened the St. Saviour’s Child Garden in 1906 in the Canongate chosen by Museum of Childhood Curator, Lyn Stevens; Helen Monro Turner (1901-1977) who founded the studio glass department at Edinburgh College of Art chosen by Applied Art Curator, Helen Edwards; and Ena Thomson (1907-1989) who served as an Air Raid Warden in Edinburgh’s Air Raid Precaution corps, or ARP during WWII chosen by Collections Care Officer, Gwen Thomas.

The story of each woman is explored and showcased using linked objects from the collection which include: a studio portrait of Nannie Brown, a pair of Ella Morrison Miller’s gold leather purchased from Edinburgh’s well-known department store Darlings in the 1930’s and WWII ARP identification papers for Ena Thomson.

These objects and many others have been unearthed as part of the ongoing Auld Reekie Retold inventory project which is working to connect Edinburgh’s people to its collections.

From the 8th March, the curators will reveal full details of each woman’s story alongside the items from the collection which connects their own unique history, providing compelling insight into our city’s history from just a few of the women who helped shape the Edinburgh we know today.

The series – which is introduced by Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Vice Convenor of Culture & Communities – will be shared online via the Museums & Galleries Edinburgh social media channels and website between 8th-12th March.

The series is accompanied by a fascinating programme of free digital lectures and family events including:

Scots Women who Chose to Challenge with Jackie Sangster. a Learning Manager at Historic Environment Scotland,

Aunts: In Fact & Fiction with Ruthanne Baxter, Museums Manager and Prescribe Culture Lead at the University of Edinburgh,

An (Almost) A to Z of Modern Scottish Women Artists with Alice Strang, Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Galleries of Scotland.

Look Outside, a family craft event inspired by the work of artist Kate Downie. and

Votes for Women – The Keystone to Liberty, a digital performance from Edinburgh Living History.

For full details and bookings visit – www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on

Commenting on the series, Councillor McNeese-Mechan said: “It is fascinating to learn about how our collections both preserve and mirror the work of women in Edinburgh’s civic and cultural life.

“This series shines a light on five women who made significant contributions to our city’s history but who sadly are far from well known.

“I hope the stories of these wonderful women will inspire you and I look forward to more discoveries from the Auld Reekie Retold project.”

Helen Edwards, Applied Art Curator with Museums & Galleries Edinburgh, said: “Working on the Auld Reekie Retold project has given us the opportunity to research some of the hidden histories behind our collections.

“It’s been fascinating looking into some of the stories of the pioneering women from Edinburgh, and International Women’s day is a real chance to get their stories out to a wider audience and let their voices be heard.”

Lost Universe launches the 2021 SUPERWOMEN Awards

Celebrating fantastic women across the UK

Lost Universe, the home of all things geek, is encouraging everyone to celebrate the fantastic women in their lives by launching the Lost Universe 2021 SUPERWOMEN Awards.

With International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day coming up in March, the pop-culture retailer wants to put a spotlight on all the intelligent, fun-loving and courageous women around the UK and treat four winners to some fun prizes.

The Awards

The 2021 SUPERWOMEN Awards are split into four categories – each one based on a different fierce female from popular TV and cinema, such as Harry Potter, Star Wars and Disney. There will be one winner per category.

The winner of each award will receive a character-themed prize bundle worth over £100 courtesy of Lost Universe, as well as a bottle of prosecco and a glass personalised with a thoughtful message from their nominator, telling them how amazing they are – cheers to that!

The award categories are as follows:

The “Books! And Cleverness!” Award: Based on the wonderful wizard herself, Hermione Granger, this award is for all the intelligent and sassy ladies who are headstrong and always know the right thing to do.

The “You’re A Wonder, Woman!” Award: This award is for all the Wonder Women without capes who exude strength in everything they do. They overcome all the mammoth obstacles in their lives and are still spreading positivity every day.

The Leia’dership Award:

This award is for all the Princesses and Queens who have shown a sense of true leadership. Whether they’ve been thriving in their work or juggling everything under the roof at home, they are a force to be reckoned with.

The Minnie Magic Award: This award goes out to all the loving and endearing ladies who are always there for their friends and loved ones. A motherly figure of sorts, they need to be recognised for their caring nature.

How to nominate

Participants can nominate a fantastic woman in their life for the awards by heading to the Lost Universe website and filling out the dedicated form with information on their nominee, why they think their loved one deserves the prize, and submitting a personalised message: https://lostuniverse.com/pages/lost-universe-2021-superwomen-awards

The geeks at Lost Universe will judge the winners based on the most heart-warming stories, and winners will be announced across the website and social media channels on the 10th March 2021.

Entries close 9th March at 11.59 PM.

Women’s March Global launches global poll for women’s rights as in-person marches are put on hold

Women’s March Global launches its fifth anniversary mobilisation event online, in place of in-person marches that have been postponed this year due to concerns around Covid-19.
The ‘Global Count’ will be one of largest global mapping surveys ever undertaken to establish the cultural, economic and social barriers to women’s progress, and is supported by a newly-assembled Global Steering Committee including Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc. (CARE), Young Feminist Fund (FRIDA), White Ribbon Alliance, CIVICUS, Girl Up, and Global Fund for Women.
The online poll has been peer-reviewed by Kimberlé Crenshaw, University of Maryland, Plan International, and Impact Mapper, and supported by women’s movements globally, such as International Planned Parenthood Federation, Arab Institute for Women, World Pulse, and MenEngage.
The Global Count will be distributed in every continent to ensure every person has the chance to be counted and have their voice heard in the post Covid-19 global reset.
Global technology firms, including Facebook and SurveyMonkey and bring their vast infrastructure, expertise and audience reach to the campaign.

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Image courtesy of Women’s March Global

Women’s March Global today announced details of its fifth anniversary event as it takes it’s global mobilisation online due to continued concerns around the Covid-19 pandemic.

On 21 January, the day women globally would normally march, Women’s March Global will open the ‘Global Count’, one of the largest global mapping polls ever conducted to document the cultural, economic and social barriers to women’s progress.

The Global Count comes at a critical time as women around the world have expressed the urgent need for intersectional voices to be heard during Covid-19 and have a say in what is prioritised by governments in the global reset. As concerns grow about the alarming rise in gender-based violence, human rights authorities have declared that gender inequities are as bad as they were 25 years ago.

The ‘Global Count’ takes the form of a digital poll. It directly addresses data scarcity around women’s rights and the urgent need to better map the critical issues facing women across the globe.

It will be distributed by leading technology companies including Survey Monkey and Facebook, taking Women’s March Global’s mobilisation efforts into communities of women that are often hardest to reach.

It will actively engage all gender diverse, non-binary, trans women and people who idenfity as women, from every country, culture and racial background around the globe. The data collected will inform future efforts to progress gender equality, as the ‘Global Count’ redefines how global institutions work towards this common goal.

The ‘Global Count’ is a collaboration between Women’s March Global, as well as various ally movements, organisations, donors, and policy-makers. Behind the campaign is a newly-assembled Steering Committee comprising some of the world’s most respected women’s rights organisations: Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc. (CARE), Young Feminist Fund (FRIDA), White Ribbon Alliance, CIVICUS, Girl Up, and Global Fund for Women.

The poll has been peer-reviewed by Kimberlé Crenshaw of the African American Policy Forum, and experts from the University of Maryland, Plan International and Impact Mapper.

Kimberlé Crenshaw, American lawyer, civil rights advocate, and peer-reviewer of the ‘Global Count’, said: “Women’s March Global has taken strides to show that the people of the world are stronger when uniting in collective action.

“The 2021 Global Count gives people a say in the many issues they confront on a daily basis. And while we may not be able to march in person this year, we can still speak as part of a global movement. I urge all people, across all continents, to have their voices counted in this one-of-a-kind survey.”

The ‘Global Count’ will run from 21 Jan (the day women would normally march) – 8 March (International Women’s Day). As women complete the poll, they will be encouraged to share it with their network with the mobilising call to action: #WeCount.

Additional Strategic Partners include leading women’s movements on every continent: Akili Dada, Akina Mama wa Afrika, the Arab Institute For Women, Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), The Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA), Every Woman Treaty, Health Education and Research Association (HERA), New Women Connectors, Stories to Action, The African Women’s Network for Community management of Forests (REFACOF), The Lotus Flower, Women Against Rape Inc., Women in Foreign Policy, Women’s Major Group, Women’s Platform for the Development of Serbia, and Women’s Rights Foundation.

The ‘Global Count’ is being distributed by SurveyMonkey as the globally-known technology company furthers its outreach and engagement efforts.

These partners are also bringing globally known spokespeople, celebrity ambassadors and influencers to boost the campaign. Further details will be announced in the coming days.

Uma Mishra-Newbery, Board Member, Women’s March Global, said: “As a global movement, Women’s March Global knows that our freedom and liberation is dependent upon each other.

“Every year since 2017 we have built our capacity to mobilise and assemble around critical issues. However, it’s time that we truly understand and collect data on what issues people face around the world. Data around these key issues on a global and local level is scarce. Yet, it is vitally needed, not only for movements, but local collectives, funding institutions and the nonprofit sector at large.

“The data collected from Global Count will be shared across these spaces and will put power directly in the hands of the people who take the survey. We know how powerful global mobilisation can be and so we are asking everyone in 2021 to join us online, from every continent to ensure all voices are counted.”

Women’s March Global is one of the leading organisations for women’s human rights with over 2,300 members and 125 chapters on every continent worldwide and was formed from the thousands of women’s marches that took place on the back of Donald Trump’s inauguration globally four years ago.

Since then, the organisation has mobilised women to march every year, and all year round, on every continent, for women’s human rights and it’s Unity Principles.

Podcast champions Scottish Voices for International Women’s Day

Scottish Pakistani Journalist, comedian and women’s rights advocate Zara Janjua launches inspirational podcast series featuring star-studded line-up for International Women’s Day 2020.

The second series of the Ask For More podcast features some of Scotland’s top business women alongside celebrities including Kaye Adams, Sharleen Spiteri, Kirsty Wark, Judy Murray and Jenni Falconer.

Each episode highlights key issues affecting women in life and in business, focussing on topics from ‘resilience’ and ‘philanthropy’ to ‘profile’. It aims to motivate and inspire listeners to be ambitious and achieve their goals.

Former STV presenter Zara Janjua said: “The best way to get motivated is to surround yourself with positive voices and to hear from people who have fulfilled their dreams. The more success is enforced, the more achievable it becomes.”

The 34-year-old ‘multi-hyphen’ presenter-producer-writer-comedian added: “This podcast offers a platform to share our experiences and speak honestly about our successes and our failures.

“Women are engineering a new future to better fit the shape of our lives. We are a nation of independent thinkers and it is time to regroup and navigate this world together.”

The first episode features tennis matriarch Judy Murray and CSR champion Diana Borland. They discuss how to create change and make an impact in the world with philanthropy.

Judy Murray said: “If we could all identify someone that we could put an arm around and mentor, to share advice and be a sounding board to, I think that would help an awful lot. It is lack of confidence in ourselves that stops us from taking that first step.”

Loose Woman anchor and Radio Scotland presenter Kaye Adams features on the ‘resilience’ themed episode alongside Marketing Executive Niki Hutchinson.

Kaye Adams said: “As women, we have a certain way of communicating, telling stories and sharing experiences that I think is quite special. I think it’s good to see that represented.”

She added:“When I was younger I took myself a bit more seriously which actually was just nerves. You’re so worried about how the world sees you and how other people see you – you’re much more self-conscious.

“In radio you are on your own with the microphone. You can’t really be produced to the same level and you don’t have anything really to rely on apart from your wits and your voice.”

The second episode releases tomorrow (Monday 9 March) and features Lynne Kennedy MBE and BBC comedy star Ashley Storrie.

Ashley said: “I’m making a conscious effort now to praise other people and tell them how proud I am of them – especially other female comedians.

“I remember when my mother was coming up in comedy, there was often a feeling that other people’s success was somehow another person’s failure and I never want to be like that.

“I’ve made friends now from people who I barely knew just saying I’m so proud of how well you’ve done. As women we need to do more of that.”

Sponsored by The Royal Bank of Scotland, the podcast was first launched in November 2019 following the Rose Review by CEO Alison Rose. It aims to inspire women to start and grow businesses.

Subscribe now to the Ask For More Podcast on:

Acast: https://play.acast.com/s/askformore

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/women-in-business-ask-for-more/id1487065308

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1DALMZwfAmuWWPexHChYQZ?si=K8GscaPsTwyRSdS9rr0Mlg

Join The ‘Ask For More’ Facebook Group

Women’s mental health hit by financial worries

Research shows women more likely to suffer from poor mental health than men thanks to heightened financial concerns – and young women hit worst

Women suffer from greater money worries than men, a study has shown this International Women’s Day.

Research has revealed that just under half (41%) of working women in the UK have money worries, a figure that dips significantly down to less than a third (32%) for men.

Statistically, the figure is also higher in younger women with 55 per cent of women aged 16-24 reporting money worries, and 53 per cent of those aged 25-34.

The recently reported research was carried out by Salary Finance, an employee financial wellbeing platform, and also revealed the shocking impact of these figures on women’s mental health.

The stats show that women with money worries are much more likely than their male counterparts with the same concerns to be suffering sleepless nights (51% to 43%), anxiety and panic attacks (62% versus 57%) and are more likely to have depression and suicidal thoughts (71% versus 65%).

These figures mean that when compared to those with no money worries women with financial concerns are over five times more likely to have anxiety and nearly seven times more likely to have depression. For men with financial worries, it is far less – they are 1.3 times more likely to say they’re suffering from anxiety and/or depression due to financial problems.

It’s also more likely that you will run out of money before pay day if you’re a woman, according to these statistics. Over a third (34%) of women are running out of money before pay day each month, compared to just under a quarter (24%) of men. Younger women were again much more highly impacted, being much more likely to run out of money before pay day.

Of course, the impact of maternity leave is keenly felt by the female workforce. Of those surveyed that took maternity or paternity leave, a massive 73 per cent of women said they took on additional debt as a result, compared to just 27 per cent of men. Yet resulting childcare costs did not cause significantly higher levels of stress for women.

Asesh Sarkar, CEO and co-founder of Salary Finance, commented: “In 2020 it’s disheartening to see such a discrepancy between financial wellbeing in men and women. Our extensive research has shown the crippling impact that money worries can have on the UK workforce, and see these figures that show women suffer much more.”

Although there were many differences the survey did reveal that there are no notable differences in the approach to savings between women and men, suggesting attitudes and behaviour play a far bigger role in saving habits than gender.

Another similarity between men and women was an apparent unwillingness to discuss their finances. This highlights a general attitude rather than a gender-specific issue.

Asesh added: “Whilst the figures show that women are suffering more as a result of poor financial wellbeing, it’s important to remember that financial stress and concerns affects a wide range of people, regardless of gender, age or salary.

“There is a need to tackle the stigma attached to discussing financial concerns and this is where financial solutions in the workplace can help. It is therefore important for employers to take an interest in the financial health of their employees.

“Our research has shown that around 77 per cent of workers feel they can trust their employer when it comes to sharing personal information. This really highlights the role that employers can play when it comes to tackling the issue of poor financial wellbeing amongst the UK workforce.”

Historic figures stand together to tackle gender inequality

Three statues depicting important and pioneering women in Edinburgh, alongside a further 11 across Scotland, have been adorned with #GenerationEqual sashes in a show of solidarity towards gender equality ahead of International Women’s Day.

Working in partnership with local authorities, councillors and site owners throughout Scotland, The First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG) staged the progressive stunt to highlight the scarcity of statues celebrating women in history and their society-changing accomplishments, and drive forward the gender equality movement.

Putting a spotlight on some of the inspiring women already recognised in stone and steel, The NACWG embellished statues and sculptures in nine cities, towns, villages and burghs across Scotland, championing equality for all with the #GenerationEqual slogan – including the ‘Woman and Child’ statue at Festival Square, ‘The Dreamer’ statue in memory of Winifred Rushworth at George Square Gardens and the statue of social activist Helen Crummy in Craigmillar – which will remain in place throughout the weekend.

The NACWG is also urging members of the public to put a spotlight on the inspirational women they think should be commemorated for their achievements.

NACWG Co-Chair Louise Macdonald OBE, said: “For generations, our history has been written by one gender. One perspective, one vision, one half of the population. Half of our history is missing.

“We want to highlight this huge inequality by showcasing some of the statues that do exist and call for better recognition of the women who have made a lasting impact through their bravery, intelligence and actions.

“Women are not niche; we are half the world and 52% of the population in Scotland [as per Engender’s latest Sex and Power publication].”

Of the 828 statues recorded in the whole of the UK, only 174 of them are female – around one in five.

But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Looking just at named women rather than nameless female figures whittles the figure down even lower, to 80. In contrast, out of 534 statues of men, 422 of them are named.

Coinciding with Women’s History Month, the annual month-long celebration which highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society, The NACWG is calling on members of the public to nominate modern day women who deserve to be recognised with a statue of their own, using the hashtag #GenerationEqual on social media.

Louise added: “We want to encourage conversation around societal change, challenge this underrepresentation and make women’s contributions to society more visible – especially those facing multiple discrimination – in politics, in sport, on boards, and even in the street.

“With so many inspiring accomplishments all too often overlooked, it’s time we paid homage to these amazing women making a difference in today’s society. We hope this activity inspires people of all age, race, gender, religion and belief to join the conversation.”

Earlier this year, The NACWG published its second annual report which included seven recommendations to the First Minister following its review of policy coherence and gender equality throughout 2019. At the NACWG Circle event on 29 January,

Ms Sturgeon advised that a full and considered response would follow, but outright accepted the recommendation to upscale the Equality Unit to a Equality, Human Rights and Inclusion Directorate and the Senior Officials and Leaders Group.

Recommendations in the latest report build on those made by The NACWG in its 2018 Report and Recommendations – of which, all eleven were subsequently accepted by Nicola Sturgeon – with the recommendations devised to work in tandem to drive forward the gender equality movement.

The NACWG 2019 report and recommendations can be found at: https://onescotland.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/NACWG-2019-Report-and-Recommendations.pdf

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