News

Call for Scottish businesses to pledge support for gender equality

Written by Michelle Rodger

The National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG) is asking businesses to show their commitment to promoting an inclusive nation by pledging to support its work to reduce gender inequality.

The council was established to advise the First Minister on some of the key issues affecting women and girls in Scotland, as well as providing advice on what is needed to tackle gender inequality across the country.

Businesses are being invited to commit publicly to the following pledge: “We believe in an inclusive Scotland where all women and girls can reach their full potential. As members of the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls’ Circle of support, we are allies in promoting gender equality.

“We support the NACWG’s strategy and will take ownership of our place in this movement. We pledge to host our own ‘Wee Circle Events’ to discuss the importance of tackling gender inequality and raise awareness on this vital issue.”

Currently, a number of significant figures and organisations from across Scottish industry are members of the NACWG Circle – a group of supporters and advisors who help generate ideas and solutions that will help inform the council’s work.

As it prepares to compile an annual set of recommended actions for First Minister Nicola Sturgeon – which are due in December – the NACWG will consider a number of steps to help tackle gender inequality. Already, more than 500 individuals and organisations across the country have signed up to the NACWG Circle.

Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport; Dame Anne Glover, President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; and Equate Scotland Director, Talat Yaqoob are all council members.

The group said it hopes an additional 50 will join by Christmas.

Louise Macdonald OBE, who was appointed independent chair of the Council in March 2017, said the ambition of the group is to “be recognised as a world leader that is striving to realise an equal society where all women and girls can reach their true potential.”

She added: “We will do this both through action and by listening to the opinions and experiences of people and organisations across the country.”

 

About the author

Michelle Rodger

Michelle is a former national newspaper journalist who co-founded an award-winning IT business before launching Tartan Cat Communications. A social media and crowdfunding expert she manages media and communications for Business for Scotland.

Leave a Comment