Tag: The Young Women's Movement

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.