Tag: The Young Women's Movement

Meet the young women and girls making change in Edinburgh

THE Young Women’s Movement, Scotland’s national organisation for young women’s leadership and rights, has today announced this year’s 30 Under 30 – a list of young women and girls in Scotland who are leading change and excelling in their fields.

Now in its ninth iteration, the 30 Under 30 campaign seeks to celebrate young women and girls’ impact in Scotland across a diverse range of experiences.

This year’s list includes young women and girls from age 13 to 30, from Shetland to Dumfries and Galloway, who are celebrated for their campaigning, community work, leadership and excellence in arts, sports, and leadership.

This year’s list includes six people from Edinburgh:

·       Alanis McQuillen, a Scottish Parliament staffer who has advocated for better visibility and participation of women in Parliament

·       Alice Cruickshank, a BBC journalist and producer whose content focuses on empowering and connecting with young people

·       Alyssa Faulkner, a campaigner for better medical access, care and awareness for people living with diabetes

·       Beth Davidson, 27-year-old CEO of mental health charity ‘Feeling Strong’

·       Gemma Smith, advocate for rights and opportunities for care-experienced people

·       Khadea Santi, an artist who led a Youth Art Takeover at the Fruitmarket and whose work explores diaspora, identity and memory.

Jenni Snell, CEO of The Young Women’s Movement, said: ‘It’s a privilege to celebrate these inspiring and tenacious young women and girls, who are creating change in their communities, lives and across society in myriad ways.

“We know that this is a particularly challenging time for young women and girls in Scotland, as they are disproportionately affected by poor access to healthcare, the cost-of-living crisis, and a rise in misogynistic rhetoric.

“Reading this year’s nominations for 30 Under 30 and seeing the impact that young women and girls are having despite this was a moving experience, and we are delighted to celebrate their successes and courage for the ninth year.’

The full 30 Under 30 list can be viewed on The Young Women’s Movement’s website.

Letter: We need young women to lead a campaign that tackles unhealthy relationships

Dear Editor,

Alongside The Young Women’s Movement we are looking for six young women aged 16–18 from across Scotland to be part of a National Champions group to support the design and delivery of the national Young Women Know campaign.

This is a great opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and make a difference to the lives of young women and girls in Scotland.

The Young Women Know project is a partnership project being run by NSPCC Scotland and The Young Women’s Movement. It was set up following an investigation into sexual harassment in Scottish schools carried out by the YWCA’s Young Women Lead committee in 2018. 

It found that in Scotland in 2018, one of the things girls can experience in school is sexual harassment and the impact of this on young women is significant and can be long-lasting. It can negatively impact everything from their mental health to their relationships and career choices.

The investigation also found that young people were most likely to turn to the internet or their friends for advice on sex and relationships and almost half of students and teaching staff surveyed said the current curriculum did not adequately cover the issue of consent. 

The national Young Women Know campaign aims to tackle unhealthy relationships and peer sexual abuse, with young women leading the change.

To apply to be a National Champion, visit: https://shorturl.at/binpS

The deadline is Wednesday, March 6.

Yours sincerely,

Carla Malseed

NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Manager

& Laurie Duffy

Collective Voice & Action Lead, The Young Women’s Movement

Young Women Lead at Holyrood

A project which aims to boost women’s involvement in politics have their work recognised this week in the Scottish Parliament.

Deputy Presiding Officer Linda Fabiani MSP led a debate in Parliament on Thursday welcoming the publication of the 2019-20 Young Women Lead Report.

The report investigates the obstacles facing BAME women transitioning from school to the workplace. A subject chosen due to a lack of Scotland-specific data on the issue. It looks at employment opportunities for women from ethnic minorities considering recruitment, retention and development policies and practices.

The Young Women Lead Committee is a leadership programme for young women aged 30 and under who live in Scotland and is delivered in partnership with the Scottish Parliament and YWCA Scotland – The Young Women’s Movement.

Deputy Presiding Officer Linda Fabiani MSP said: “I am delighted to lead the debate today which will give us all an opportunity to better understand the barriers faced by young BAME women across the country.

“Throughout the last year, I have been continually impressed by the young women involved in this project. They have put together a vital piece of work despite the immense challenges presented by a global pandemic.

“The recommendations of this timely report should be taken on board to help create a fairer and better Scotland for all.”

The Young Women Lead programme was launched in 2017 and was created from a need to address the lack of representation of young women in politics. In 2019-20 the programme was revised with the intention to increase young BAME women’s political participation and to hear their voices and experiences.

The programme was created from a need to address the underrepresentation of young women in politics. Working with the Scottish Parliament, The Young Women’s Movement (YWCA Scotland) has designed the programme for 30 participants from a range of diverse communities to come together in the Parliament to run their own committee inquiry, focusing on a topic of their choice.

You can read the full report here.